A Tokyo court sentenced to time in prison Monday the American father-son tandem accused of helping Carlos Ghosn, former Nissan chairman, flee to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan.

The three-judge panel handed U.S. Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor a two-year prison term, while his son Peter was sentenced to one year and eight months, Bloomberg said.

The duo was extradited from the U.S. over allegations they smuggled Ghosn out of Japan in a luggage box on a private plane as he awaited trial.

The pair, who received $1.3 million for their services, pleaded guilty last month to charges of aiding Ghosn's escape.

In handing down the sentencing, Chief Judge Hideo Nirei said the 60-year old Michael and his son had committed a serious violation of the law, as it is now almost impossible to put Ghosn on trial.

Ghosn is now an international fugitive living in his childhood home of Lebanon. The country has no extradition treaty with Japan.

Japanese prosecutors had been seeking prison terms of two years and 10 months for Michael and two years and six months for Peter, reports said.

"This case enabled Ghosn, a defendant of a serious crime, to escape overseas," The Associated Press quoted Nirei as saying in his decision.

According to Nirei, Ghosn has no intention of returning to Japan.

"A year and a half has passed, but there is no prospect of the trial being held," he said.

Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on charges of falsely disclosing his salary and of breach of trust in using Nissan Motor's money to enrich himself.

Ghosn maintains his innocence, and said he left because he could not expect a fair trial in Japan.

U.S. prosecutors called Ghosn's escape "one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history."