TOKYO (AP) — An American father and son convicted in Japan of helping ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn hide in a box and escape to Lebanon have been extradited to the United States, their lawyers say. said on Tuesday.
Former Green Beret Michael Taylor was sentenced to two years in prison by the Tokyo District Court last July, while his son Peter Taylor was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.
They were found guilty of aiding criminals involved in Ghosn’s escape in December 2019. Ghosn was awaiting trial on various financial misconduct charges, including underreporting of compensation.
The Taylors were arrested in Massachusetts in May 2020 and extradited to Japan in March 2021, but opposed their deportation to Japan.
The United States and Japan have an extradition treaty, but Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn is Lebanese-French-Brazilian.
The U.S. Federal Prison Service’s online site lists Michael Taylor as being at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he is expected to be released on January 1, 2023.
The Taylors’ attorney, Paul V. Kelly, said in an email that they are in discussions with parole officials about their previous release. Kelly, who has an office in
Japan’s Justice Ministry declined to comment. Nissan has no comment.
During the trial in Tokyo, Michael and Peter Taylor apologized and pleaded guilty, saying they had been misled by Ghosn. did.
Ghosn, who has led Nissan Motor for 20 years, claims he is innocent. He says he fled because he didn’t expect a fair trial in Japan.
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