A Mexican court has issued arrest warrants for a British man and a Mexican woman who are accused of deceiving a Canadian couple and embezzling their retirement funds in a fraudulent condominium scheme, as reported by CBC News. The warrants were issued by a Quintana Roo state court judge in late July. The accused individuals, Harry Robinson and Jacqueline Herrera Herrera, are currently contesting these warrants in a Mexican federal court, as per court documents.
Despite the ongoing federal court proceedings concerning the arrest warrants, the criminal case against Robinson and Herrera at the state level remains unaffected. The state prosecutor’s office has charged them with fraud through deceptive practices. The victims, Cindy Thompson and Glenn Brown from Curve Lake, Ont., transferred $280,000 to a company co-owned by Robinson and Herrera, with promises of lucrative returns from a condo investment in Playa del Carmen that never came to fruition.
Thompson and Brown lodged a criminal complaint against the defendants earlier this year. The incident dates back to late 2024 when Thompson discovered XMEX Investments, operated by Robinson, during a search for real estate opportunities in Mexico. After sending $170,000 in two installments for a one-bedroom condo, Thompson did not receive the property keys. Subsequently, Robinson persuaded her, along with an additional $110,000 from Brown, to invest in a deal involving seven condominiums, claiming a substantial profit margin via WhatsApp messages. However, the invested funds disappeared without any returns.
A federal court judge granted a stay on the arrest warrant for Herrera on August 27, with ongoing efforts to have it dismissed. Robinson’s hearing regarding the warrant is scheduled for September 8 in Cancun. Amidst the legal proceedings, Herrera alleged that Robinson misappropriated some of the funds, while Robinson accused Herrera of stealing all the money in a separate criminal complaint filed in late 2025.
Despite the developments, neither Robinson nor Herrera’s legal representatives in Cancun, nor the state deputy-prosecutor overseeing the case, responded to requests for comments. Herrera, through another attorney, proposed a financial settlement to Thompson in early August amounting to approximately $188,000. Additionally, she offered a commercial property in Cancun valued at around $328,000, but Thompson declined both offers, expressing distrust in any future dealings with Herrera.
Thompson expressed frustration with understanding the complexities of the Mexican judicial system and the intricacies of the case. While cautiously optimistic about the progress, Thompson acknowledged feeling heightened anxiety due to the distance and lack of direct involvement in the legal proceedings.