Ghosn’s Accused Smugglers Sent to Japan From U.S. to Face Charges

(Bloomberg) -- Two Americans accused of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. executive Carlos Ghosn out of Tokyo have been transferred by the American authorities to Japanese custody after losing a months-long extradition fight to remain in the U.S.

Michael Taylor and his son Peter were handed over to Japanese custody on Monday morning, according to another son, Rudy Taylor.

The Taylors face a possible prison sentence of three years on charges they engineered the audacious December 2019 escape in which Ghosn hid inside a black box that was loaded onto a charter jet. The auto executive remains a fugitive.

For months, the Taylors battled extradition in court, arguing the allegations against them did not constitute a crime under Japan's penal code and that conditions in the country's prisons amounted to torture. They also hired lobbyists in Washington to press their case with the Trump administration.

But none of those efforts paid off. In recent weeks, the federal appeals court in Massachusetts and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt the extradition, and the State Department authorized the transfer.

Read More: Ghosn's Dramatic Escape Leaves Accused Smugglers as Captives

Michael Taylor, a security contractor and former Green Beret, has never denied helping Ghosn escape and even described the operation in an interview with Vanity Fair. At the time he fled Japan, Ghosn was free on bail while facing trial on charges of financial misconduct.

The Japanese authorities alleged that Peter Taylor met with Ghosn several times before the escape. The Taylors have maintained that Peter played no role in the operation.

The Taylors were arrested in May 2020 at Japan's request and were held in a jail outside Boston as they fought extradition. If convicted in Tokyo, it's not clear if they'll get credit for time served in the U.S.

In a letter to the Taylors' lawyers on Feb. 22, the State Department said it will “inform the Government of Japan of the amount of time they have been detained,” according to a copy reviewed by Bloomberg News, “so this can be factored into any sentence that may ultimately be imposed under Japanese law, if appropriate.”

Ghosn, who has denied the allegations of financial crimes, is living in Beirut. Lebanon does not have an extradition agreement with Japan.

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