HARVARD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Two Massachusetts men have been arrested and charged with enabling the escape of a former auto company CEO, who was awaiting trial in Japan.
According to the Department of Justice, 59-year-old Michael Taylor and his son, 27-year-old Peter Taylor were arrested on Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service in the town of Harvard, Mass.
Michael Taylor is a former Green Beret, and according to ESPN he is also a former football coach at Lawrence Academy.
The two men are wanted in Japan for allegedly enabling the escape of Carlos Ghosn, the former Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Nissan Motor Company, who was indicted for financial crimes. Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent.
Court records say the Taylors flew to Japan several times in 2019 and met with Ghosn, who had been released on bail pending his trial.
On December 28, 2019 Michael Taylor and another man, George-Antoine Zayek, arrived in Japan on a private jet from the United Arab Emirates, and brought two large black boxes into the country. The pair allegedly told airport workers they were musicians.
Meanwhile, court documents say Peter Taylor had arrived at a hotel in Tokyo, where his father, Zayek, and Ghosn eventually joined him. They were all seen leaving the hotel room with luggage, when Peter Taylor separated from the group and boarded a flight to China.
Michael Taylor, Zayek and Ghosn boarded a train, and were seen on surveillance video later that night entering another hotel, but Ghosn was never seen leaving.
Court documents say "Ghosn was hiding in one of the two large black boxes being carried by Michael Taylor and Zayek."
The black boxes were then loaded back onto the private jet without being checked. Two days later, Ghosn made a public announcement that he was in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
The Taylors are now facing extradition to Japan over the charges. They are expected to appear before a judge via videoconference later on Wednesday.
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