Two Americans Plead Guilty to Helping Carlos Ghosn Escape

An American and his son confessed in a Tokyo court on Monday to assisting Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan president, in fleeing Japan in late 2019 by hiding in a box on a private jet. Michael Taylor, a former U.S. special forces soldier, and his son Peter denied the charges when the judge asked if they had any objections to the allegations presented by the Japanese Public Prosecutor's Office, during their first appearance in court on the matter. The two men are being held in the same prison where Ghosn was detained after being extradited by the United States in March. They face a prison sentence of up to three years. According to the prosecution, they received $1.3 million for assisting Ghosn's escape from Japan. Ghosn was held while awaiting 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. Michael Taylor, a former U.S. special forces soldier, and his son Peter arrived in Japan in March after being handed over by U.S. authorities, following a months-long legal battle fought by Michael Taylor's lawyers to avoid their extradition to Japan to face charges of aiding Ghosn. The U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the way for the extradition of the two men, who had been detained in the United States since their arrest in May.