Former Nissan Motor Co. chief Carlos Ghosn transferred more than $860,000 (¥92.5 million) in October to a company managed by one of two Massachusetts men accused of helping him escape criminal charges in Japan two months later, U.S. prosecutors said.
Ghosn wired the money in two installments to Promote Fox LLC, a company managed by Peter Taylor and one of his brothers, the U.S. government said in a Tuesday court filing. Taylor and his father, ex-Green Beret Michael, were arrested by U.S. authorities in May at the request of the Japanese government, which is seeking their extradition for allegedly helping Ghosn flee to Lebanon in December. At the time, Ghosn was out on bail awaiting trial on several financial misconduct charges.
Tuesday’s filing, based on records included in the official extradition request Japan filed last week, indicates that prosecutors in the U.S. and Japan have a detailed understanding of the audacious plot to extract Ghosn from Tokyo. If Michael and Peter Taylor are extradited, the Japanese government would likely present the financial documents alongside immigration records and security camera footage mentioned in other court filings to illustrate the Taylors’ role in the escape.