In a major blow to the case against Peter Taylor, and perhaps his father, former Green Beret Mike Taylor, the Department of Justice has filed a notice that they plan to announce that the Japanese government will rescind their extradition request for Peter.
Mike and Peter Taylor have been incarcerated for nine months pending extradition requests submitted by the Japanese government. Both men have been held without bail, despite COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons across the country.
The Japanese government has alleged that Mike and Peter Taylor smuggled former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn out of Japan where he was awaiting corruption charges. Ghosn's escape to Lebanon made international headlines and embarrassed the Japanese government.
Meanwhile, Taylor's lawyers have argued that helping someone to skip out on bail is not illegal under Japanese law, and that law enforcement has not even charged him with a crime because of that reason. Further, they have asserted that the Taylor's human rights would be abused in Japanese prisons, which are notorious for using sleep deprivation and other inhumane tactics in order to coerce confessions out of inmates, according to Amnesty International and other human rights groups.
The recent Department of Justice filing signals that the entire case will be dropped against Peter Taylor, stating, "Japan previously asserted that Peter Taylor provided a room key to Carlos Ghosn to enable him in connection with his escape, contending that one requires a room key to ascend to the ninth floor at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo. Japan has determined, in the past six months, that that statement was not true."
Why it took months of Peter Taylor being in prison awaiting extradition before Japanese police could determine that a key card was not required for an elevator ride in Tokyo remains unknown.
"Unfortunately, the Government has not yet withdrawn its request to extradite Peter Taylor," Paul V. Kelly, one of the attorney's representing the Taylor's told Connecting Vets. "That said, this acknowledgement of a critical factual error in Japan’s presentation to the Court seriously undermines the finding that there is probable cause that Peter committed any offense. We expect to promptly file a motion asking the Court to reconsider the probable cause finding as to Peter. This could also have implications for the charge against Michael Taylor as well, as it casts doubt on the overall credibility of Japan’s so-called evidence."
Meanwhile, Hollywood sees an opportunity to cash in on Mike Taylor's life story. Acclaimed actor Sam Rockwell is developing both a television series and a feature film about Mike Taylor, supposedly telling the story of the former Green Beret turned security contractor.
The film and tv show appears to poke fun at Taylor's life judging from the press releases, creating a whimsical and ironic episodic drama about a, "former elite member of the Special Forces reduced to selling Vitamin Water."
When reached at Norfolk Correctional Facility over the weekend, Mike Taylor told Connecting Vets that he had never heard of Sam Rockwell before.
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