Half a Million Lost? Investors Cry Foul in Luxury Lodge Dispute

A dream investment in paradise has turned into a bitter feud in Burrell Boom. It started as a luxury eco-lodge partnership between three American investors and a Belizean couple and is now tangled in fraud claims, missing money, and legal threats.

Dr. Sade Thompson from California says she and her partners invested more than half a million U.S. dollars into building “Howler Jungle House and Cabanas.” The plan was to create a luxury hideaway for travellers seeking nature and comfort.

Instead, the months of escalating costs and confusion led to the partnership breaking apart.

So, what went wrong?

According to the lease agreement, the Belizean couple, Kenny and Shanna Williams, remain the “beneficial owners” of the property. The investors were granted use of three cabins while still paying the Williamses for hotel management, maintenance, and other fees.

“There were no red flags so we continued sending the money,” Thompson said. “They started adding these luxury things and putting more and more. So my cost went from eighty thousand to one hundred and twenty-four thousand U.S. dollars.”

The investors allege they never saw detailed and verified proof of how their money was spent. To help make sense of the growing confusion, consultant Jazmynn Tillett was brought in to steer the business back on track and mediate both sides.

Tillett said the Williamses billed investors based on supplier quotes rather than actual receipts. “It’s really sad to see people be ripped off over five hundred thousand dollars,” she said.

The allegations now include inflated invoices, questionable construction charges, and withheld access to the property. “My clients categorically deny all these false allegations that have been made against them. We find them libelous and defamatory, and we are considering taking legal action,” Bennett said.

Bennett argues that the Americans received far more value than they realise. “Look at this property, eco-friendly, untouched, natural setting, howler monkeys around. You don’t get that in America. You get that in Belize, and that is their capital injection,” he said.

It has come down to the investors wanting to remove their structures from the property entirely. The Williamses, meanwhile, say they are ready to defend their name and reputation in court.