Japan has officially asked the United States to extradite a former Green Beret and his son alleged of helping former Nissan Motor CEO Carlos Ghosn escape the country while he was awaiting trial on financial charges.
Japan filed a request to the U.S. State Department to extradite Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor after they were provisionally arrested in Massachusetts on May 2020, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing on Thursday.
Lawyers for Taylors have so far have argued that they have not been charged in Japan with an offense for which extradition is possible under the treaty between the U.S. and Japan.
The Taylors were arrested in Harvard, Massachusetts, on May 20 after Japan’s request following authorities there in January alleged them of helping smuggle Ghosn, Nissan’s former chairman, out of the nation on December 29, 2019, in a box.
Both men have been held without bail since their arrest.
Ghosn fled to Lebanon after he was charged with engaging in financial wrongdoing. He has rejected any wrongdoing. Last month, an email trail supported claims of Carlos Ghosn that his ouster was set up. Nissan has rejected corporate conspiracy to oust Ghosn.
Lebanon lacks a extradition treaty with Japan.
