CBC News
· collected 2026-09-11 · by Jorge Barrera, Tania Miranda Perez
Harry Robinson, a 66-year-old UK man, is accused of participating in a scheme to defraud a Canadian couple of $280,000 by offering them a fake condo deal. However, Robinson claims he was also a victim of his co-accused, Jacqueline Herrera Herrera, and has provided proof to Mexican authorities that she redirected the money through unknown accounts. Court records show that state authorities are not currently investigating what happened to the missing funds, but rather focusing on proving that Robinson and Herrera did not have access or control over the condos they promised to Thompson and Brown. A state judge issued arrest warrants against both defendants in July, which they later obtained stays for in federal court.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Man accused in Mexican condo scheme claims he was a victim, too
Harry Robinson says he never touched Canadian couple's lost retirement savings
A U.K. man facing accusations he took part in a scheme that wiped out a Canadian couple's retirement savings says he's provided proof to Mexican authorities probing the case that he never touched a dime of the vanished funds, and that he's also a victim of his co-accused.
uncertain
he → accuse → accused
Harry Robinson, 66, is accused of working with a Mexican national named Jacqueline Herrera Herrera to defraud Cindy Thompson and Glenn Brown of Curve Lake, Ont., of $280,000 by offering them a fake deal to buy and flip seven condos.
asserted
Robinson → accuse → condos
Robinson provided CBC News with a memo and HSBC bank records, both filed with the state attorney general's office of Quintana Roo, that he says proves Herrera redirected Thompson and Brown's money — sent over three installments — through cashier's cheques and transfers to other, unknown accounts.
asserted
Herrera → provide → accounts
The memo, filed Aug. 24, alleges that Herrera had total control over the account which was under the name of Xen Investments, their former joint venture.
asserted
which → file → Investments
It claims Herrera put the account under a "lock" to prevent Robinson from accessing or moving funds.
uncertain
Herrera → claim → funds
CBC News was not provided with any documented proof outlining the alleged lock on the account.
asserted
News → provide → account
The memo asks state investigators to seek a judicial order to obtain the names linked to the cashier's cheques and other bank accounts to trace the final destination of the funds.
asserted
memo → ask → funds
"If you watch any criminal show on TV, the one statement that is made all the time: Follow the money," Robinson told CBC News in his real-estate office in Puerto Morelos, a small port town between the tourist hotspots Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
asserted
Robinson → watch → hotspots
"And yet, here we are in a fraud case with missing money and no one has made any attempt to follow the money.
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one → miss → money
However, state authorities are not focusing their case against Robinson and Herrera on what happened to the money, according to other court records.
uncertain
what → focus → records
There have been no applications yet before the courts to trace the movement of Thompson and Brown's funds after they landed in Xen Investments's account.
asserted
they → trace → account
The investigation is simply focused on proving there was fraud by deceit — that Herrera and Robinson did not have any access or control over the seven condos they offered Thompson and Brown as part of a deal, which promised the couple 100 per cent profit.
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which → focus → profit
"This operation evolved as more resources were collected, without the existence … availability or actual allocation of the promised units being documentally proven," says a state prosecutor's filing seeking arrest warrants against Herrera and Robinson, which was obtained by CBC News.
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which → evolve → News
"For months [Thompson and Brown] were kept in a narrative of extensions, new fund requests … and imminent refunds that never materialized."
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that → keep → extensions
A state judge issued those warrants on July 24.
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judge → issue → July
Herrera and Robinson both obtained stays in Mexican federal court against the warrants, but their state-level criminal proceedings are waiting on a judge to set a date to commence.
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proceedings → obtain → date
"I don't think I'm being fairly treated … by the prosecutor's office.
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I → think → office
I think they're not going after the true criminal in this case," said Robinson.
asserted
Robinson → think → case
"I've lived my whole life honest, no problems, no criminal record, nothing … and all of a sudden I'm now some sort of master criminal?
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I → live → master
Nobody makes that transition like that."
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Nobody → make → that
Publicly available records show Robinson was born in Liverpool and that he worked in Australia and the U.S. before moving to Mexico.
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he → show → Mexico
CBC News could find no evidence of any sanctions against Robinson or court cases involving him or his businesses.
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News → find → him
Robinson says he moved to Mexico around 2020 and also has Australian citizenship.
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he → say → citizenship
A fraud by deceit conviction could lead to a prison sentence ranging between three to 12 years.
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conviction → lead → years
Robinson says he's asked the U.K. Embassy for help.
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he → say → help
The 'middleman'
Thompson said that Robinson was the "middleman" throughout the months of attempted dealmaking, which started in 2024.
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which → say → 2024
"I had 100 per cent faith in [Robinson]," she said.
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she → have → Robinson
anytime we had any questions or concerns, he always had an answer …
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he → have → answer
I would get: ‘relax, calm down, everything's going to be fine, it's just taking a long time.
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it → get → time
Robinson says he was also duped by Herrera and believed the deal was real — though he put none of his own money into the pot, despite telling Thompson he would also go in as an investor.
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he → say → investor
"The deal was that all my time and effort, everything else, was going to be paid in commission.
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time → go → commission
That commission was set aside and put toward the deal," he said.
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he → set → deal
"And I would see it one day.
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I → see → it
So I didn't even get anything upfront."
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I → get → anything
Robinson said he met Herrera around three or four years ago and attended several private events with her and that she seemed to be well connected and respected as a Cancun realtor with 30 years of experience.
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she → say → experience
"Everybody seemed to now have gone out of their way to tell me how good a person Jacqueline was, how trustworthy she was, how I couldn't have found a better business partner," said Robinson.
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Robinson → seem → partner
Seeking settlement
asserted
Seeking → seek → settlement
Herrera claims Robinson also took some of Thompson and Brown's money.
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Robinson → claim → money
She is seeking to avoid criminal proceedings by offering to repay part of the missing money through an alternative justice channel that is part of the Mexican system.
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that → seek → system
Herrera is offering to repay $2.4 million pesos — roughly $196,000 — in two installments to Thompson and Brown under a court-authorized settlement.
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Herrera → offer → settlement
…and 3 more, not listed.
