An American executive who resigned from Toyota after being arrested in Japan in 2015 on suspicion of drug law violations is back at the Japanese automaker, the company said Thursday.
Julie Hamp has been hired by Toyota Motor Corp's North American operations to support its chief executive, Akio Toyoda, and advise the company on global management, sustainability, governance and global media relations.
She was arrested on suspicion of importing the prescription painkiller oxycodone, which is tightly controlled in Japan, after arriving in the country to head Toyota’s public relations in 2015.
Toyota said her return was not a problem because she was never prosecuted.
“Toyota believes the incident in 2015 will not hinder her career going forward,” it said in response to a query from The Associated Press.
In 2015, prosecutors said Hamp arranged with her father to have 57 oxycodone pills sent via air mail from the U.S. to a Tokyo hotel. They decided not to pursue charges.
Toyota officials repeatedly apologized for the arrest, but Toyoda commented how he wished he could have done more to help Hamp. He also publicly defended her as an important member of the Toyota team.
Hamp's was the first high-profile female promotion at Japan’s top automaker. She joined the company in 2012, overseeing marketing and communications for the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands in the U.S. She earlier worked for PepsiCo Inc. and General Motors Co.
In her latest assignment with Toyota, Hamp will also work on the English version of Toyota’s own media, Toyota Times, according to the maker of the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models.
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9 Comments
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WA4TKG
Despite it being an International breach of Postal Regulation, was she PRESCRIBED these medications legally in the USA?
There's quite a bit of room to make a court case out of. If she WAS, then I believe five years in prison is quite excessive. People do less time for manslaughter in Japan.
3RENSHO
She seems to have good connections...
BigP
She must be very good at her job!
Also, not bearing a grudge against Japan.
Well done her, it is a bit like giving the Japanese system the middle finger.
JeffLee
Toyota is facing a global backlash for dragging its feet on EVs, so I guess it's really desperate for PR people.
Alfie Noakes
Ms. Hamp was arrested, released and never prosecuted. She didn't spend five years in jail. The Japanese "justice" system may be horrendous, but it hasn't reached that stage yet.
Sh1mon M4sada
Toyota is not dragging its feet, like Tesla, it can't source enough battery ir components.
If it can source battery, it can sell millions of EVs.
China has been holding back supply of battery, battery materials etc., so as to disadvantage non-Chinese brands, and it's not just battery, Tesla has got toolings held up in port in China, and component makers are also holding back supply to foreign companies like Tesla.
Don't believe the covid narrative, China's own brands has supply, and China hosting the winter Olympic is further proof it can manage covid without restricting movement, when it suits them.
wtfjapan
If it can source battery, it can sell millions of EVs.
why Toyota make the worlds best solid state batteries, although not as cheap as China.
Toyota is just pushing the hydrogen vehicle which is invested heavily in, unfortunately itll never challenge BEV in the long term
garypen
For most prescription drugs, one is allowed to import a one-month supply at a time. However, certain prescription drugs require special permission from the government. And, some, are simply not allowed at all.
Opiates definitely fall into one of the latter categories.
Strangerland
So? She wasn't in the USA, and if we're going to get down to it, the USA has a MAJOR oxycodone problem, so whatever they're doing, it's clearly wrong.
So yeah, who cares where she got her drugs.