The father-son team who smuggled Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in a large musical-equipment case was sentenced to time in prison for their role in helping Nissan Motor Co.’s former chairman flee trial in 2019.
Michael Taylor, 60, the father and a former U.S. Green Beret, received a sentence of two years by the three-judge panel on Monday at the Tokyo District Court. His 28-year-old son, Peter Taylor, received a one-year and eight-month sentence, they said.
Both pleaded guilty last month to charges of aiding Ghosn’s escape to Beirut, a development that was just as shocking as the November 2018 arrest of the auto executive for alleged financial crimes. With Ghosn out of reach — Lebanon doesn’t extradite its citizens — the pair has become a proxy for Ghosn and his case. So has Greg Kelly, a former Nissan director who was detained on the same day as his boss and is facing trial in Japan. Ghosn and Kelly have denied allegations of understating the auto executive’s compensation.
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