A Mexican court has issued arrest warrants for a British man and a Mexican woman accused of scamming a Canadian couple out of their retirement funds in an alleged condo-flipping scheme, according to CBC News sources. The warrants, issued in late July by a Quintana Roo state court judge, target Harry Robinson and Jacqueline Herrera Herrera. Both individuals are currently in a Mexican federal court attempting to challenge the warrants, as per court documents. Despite this federal court process, the criminal case against them at the state level will proceed.
Robinson and Herrera face allegations from the state prosecutor’s office of committing fraud through deceit. The victims, Cindy Thompson and Glenn Brown from Curve Lake, Ontario, sent $280,000 to a company co-owned by Robinson and Herrera, who promised significant profits from a condo flip in Playa del Carmen that never materialized. Thompson expressed ongoing concern over the situation, mentioning that the experience lingers in her mind.
Quintana Roo, known for being a popular destination for Canadian tourists and investors, is where the incident unfolded. Thompson and Brown lodged a criminal complaint against Robinson and Herrera earlier this year. The case traces back to late 2024 when Thompson, exploring real estate opportunities in Mexico, discovered XMEX Investments, a company operated by Robinson. Following interactions with Robinson and Herrera in Playa del Carmen, Thompson invested $170,000 in a one-bedroom condo deal that did not proceed as promised. Subsequently, Robinson persuaded Thompson to transfer additional funds, including $110,000 from Brown, for a condo flipping venture, assuring them of substantial profits. However, the couple’s money vanished without any returns.
While a federal court judge granted a stay on the arrest warrant for Herrera on August 27, the process to dismiss it is ongoing. A hearing for Robinson’s case is set for September 8 in Cancun. In the midst of the legal battle, Herrera alleged that Robinson misappropriated some of the funds, while Robinson accused Herrera of embezzling all the money in a criminal complaint filed in late 2025.
Notably, attempts to obtain comments from Robinson, Herrera’s lawyer in Cancun, and the state deputy-prosecutor overseeing the case were unsuccessful. Herrera, represented by another lawyer, proposed a cash settlement to Thompson in early August amounting to approximately $188,000 in Mexican pesos, along with offering a commercial property in Cancun valued at around $328,000. Thompson declined these offers, emphasizing a reluctance to engage in any further dealings with Herrera.
Thompson expressed frustration with navigating the complexities of the Mexican judicial system and the intricacies of the case. Despite feeling more optimistic, she admitted to heightened anxiety due to the uncertainty surrounding the situation and her physical distance from the legal proceedings.