On Monday, the United States handed over two American citizens to Japanese authorities, who are wanted for allegedly assisting former Renault-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn in fleeing to Lebanon on December 29, 2019, according to their lawyer.
Lawyer Paul Kelly stated that his clients, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, lost a lawsuit they filed to prevent U.S. authorities from extraditing them to Tokyo, where they, along with a third accomplice—Lebanese George Antoine Zayek—are accused of aiding Ghosn's escape. Kelly indicated that Japanese prosecutors received his clients on Monday for extradition from the United States. He added in a statement, "This is a sad day for the family and for all who believe that veterans deserve better treatment from their country." Both the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Department declined to comment, and the Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office, which will handle the case, also refrained from commenting.
No charges will be filed against the men immediately, but they are likely to face charges upon the conclusion of investigations that will begin upon their arrival in Japan. Japanese prosecutors have not disclosed where the men will be detained, and they could be placed in the Tokyo detention center where Ghosn was held following his arrest. Under Japanese law, suspects can be held for up to 20 days before any charges are brought or they are released, and their lawyers are not allowed to attend interrogations by prosecutors. When charges are filed, Japanese courts often deny bail.
Michael Taylor, a former military serviceman who served in U.S. special forces, transitioned to working in the private security sector after leaving the military. Japanese authorities issued an arrest warrant for Michael Taylor and his son for allegedly assisting Ghosn in escaping to his homeland, leading to their arrest by U.S. authorities last May. At that time, Peter Taylor was in Boston attempting to flee to Lebanon, a country that has no extradition treaty with the United States.
On February 13, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings in this case, thereby allowing the government to extradite the father and son to Japanese authorities. U.S. court documents revealed that Michael Taylor, his son Peter, and their third accomplice, Zayek, aided in smuggling Ghosn from Osaka (western Japan) to Lebanon. American prosecutors described Ghosn's escape as "one of the most brazen and elaborate jailbreaks in modern history."
Ghosn (66 years old), who was under house arrest in Japan and facing charges of embezzlement, successfully escaped to Beirut after hiding in a large musical instrument case that had 70 holes drilled into it for breathing. In a related case, a court in Istanbul sentenced three Turks last week—a private jet company official and two pilots—after convicting them of helping Ghosn escape. The two pilots insisted on their innocence, asserting they were unaware Ghosn was on their aircraft. According to the indictment, Ghosn's escape included a stop in Istanbul instead of a direct flight to Beirut, "in an effort to avoid raising suspicions."
Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 and imprisoned but exploited his house arrest status to orchestrate a bold escape that embarrassed Japanese judicial authorities and raised questions about those involved in his smuggling. Ghosn, who holds three nationalities (French, Lebanese, and Brazilian) and is subject to an international arrest warrant, has since remained in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. He was held pending trial on charges of financial misconduct, including failing to fully disclose his salary in Nissan's financial statements and profiting at the company's expense through payments to car trading firms. Ghosn denies any wrongdoing.
