[ad_1]
Green Beret and his son both pleaded guilty Monday to accusations of aiding former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn in his dramatic escape from Japan, according to reports.
Michael Taylor, 60, and his 28-year-old son Peter Taylor smuggled Ghosn — who was facing accusations of misleading Nissan investors and enriching himself at his company’s expense — by pretending to be musicians carrying equipment to avoid security checks at the airport in December 2019.
Then, hiding inside a bag of audio equipment, Ghosn was taken all the way from Tokyo to Lebanon in December 2019. He claimed he was innocent and was fleeing a “rigged” Japanese justice system.
Michael Taylor and Peter Taylor earned $1.3 million for their roles in helping Carlos Ghosn (pictured) escape. AP / Hussein Malla
Father and son face up to three years in prison. Another trial is scheduled for later this month.
The two were sent from the US to Japan in March for trial after a months-long extradition battle in which their lawyers claimed they could face torture in Japan. They were reportedly held in solitary confinement in the same Tokyo prison where Ghosn was held years earlier.
Michael Taylor (right) and his son Peter Taylor face up to three years in prison for their roles in Ghosn’s escape. Family HANDOUT / AFP via Getty Images
The elder Taylor has a long history of international private security and aiding fugitives — including helping the New York Times release one of its reporters who was kidnapped by the Taliban, according to The Times.
Michael Taylor and his son, both Americans, received $1.3 million for their roles in Ghosn’s escape, and requested an additional $500,000 to help with legal fees after Japan sought their arrest.
To plot an escape, Michael Taylor repeatedly visited Ghosn’s childhood home in Lebanon in 2019, according to the outlet. Ghosn’s wife, Carol, has reportedly asked for their help.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Ghosn suggested that Taylor’s guilt admission may be under duress.
“How can you trust a statement made by someone in the hostage justice system?” Said Ghosn, who is still in Lebanon, which does not have an extradition agreement with Japan.
Greg Kelly, the former Nissan CEO who allegedly helped Ghosn hide his profits, is also on trial in Tokyo and faces up to 15 years in prison. Kelly denies the charges.
Because of their alleged roles in the plot, 60-year-old Michael Perrett Michael Taylor and his 28-year-old son Peter Taylor face up to three years in prison. A guilty plea could have been made under duress
with wire
.
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!