Son of Former Nissan CEO Paid $500,000 in Crypto to Arrange Escape

Anthony Ghosn, the son of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, revealed to prosecutors that he paid about $500,000 in cryptocurrency to one of the two men who helped Carlos break free from Japan.

Carlos Ghosn’s Son Transferred Half a Million in Cryptocurrency Through Coinbase

According to Reuters, US prosecutors said in a court filing that Carlos Ghosn’s son paid about half a million dollars to one of the Massachusetts men responsible for the escape of the former Nissan chairman.

At the end of last year, Carlos Ghosn escaped from Japan, where he was arrested for allegations of financial misconduct in 2018. Japanese prosecutors charged the former Nissan CEO with misappropriating millions of company’s funds for his own use. He also allegedly misled shareholders about the size of his salary as a CEO.

Carlos secretly fled to Beirut, Lebanon, as he is half Lebanese. He was helped by two men, including Peter Taylor. US prosecutors said on Wednesday that Carlos’s son transferred cryptocurrency funds to Peter Taylor, who helped Ghosn flee in a private jet. Peter was assisted by his father, Michael Taylor, a US Army Special Forces veteran.

Carlos Ghosn; source: Forbes

Besides the cryptocurrency payment, Anthony also wired over $860,000 to a firm run by Peter Taylor.

The US prosecutors haven’t revealed the specific cryptocurrency exchanged between Anthony and Peter. However, it is likely that Ghosn’s son counted on cryptocurrency because it is borderless, fast, and allows a degree of anonymity.

In the court filing, prosecutors introduced a document from crypto exchange Coinbase, demonstrating the alleged transfers from Anthony to Peter. Coinbase supports Bitcoin and two dozen other coins.

Prosecutors Didn’t Approve Peter Taylor’s Request to Be Released on Bail

Ghosn senior is well and safe in Lebanon, also because he was reportedly welcomed by the president himself. However, Peter Taylor has been under arrest in the US since May, where prosecutors argued against his latest attempt to obtain the nod for his release on bail. Peter is held at the request of Japan, which is looking for his and his father’s extradition.

US prosecutors revealed the payment details, saying that both Taylors pose a severe flight risk as they “now have access to Ghosn’s vast resources with which to flee.”

While the Taylors have never denied that they had helped Ghosn to escape from Japan, their lawyers argued in court that Japan’s extradition request has no base given that the accusation is not serious enough to warrant extradition.

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