France Convicts L.A. Couple of Illegal Importing of Arms
LE HAVRE, France — A Los Angeles screenwriter and his wife were among four people convicted of illegally importing weapons destined for the Irish National Liberation Army, an offshoot of the outlawed Irish Republican Army.
The Correctional Tribunal in this French port city convicted William and Eleanor Norton of Los Angeles, James MacLaughlin of Dublin and Sean Hughes, an Irish national living in France. They were arrested June 11, 1986, when a camping vehicle full of arms was seized after allegedly being shipped from Los Angeles. Two automatic pistols, 12 assault rifles, 23 other guns and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition were found in the vehicle.
Norton, 62, and the other two men were sentenced Monday to four years in prison, and Eleanor Norton, 47, was sentenced to three years, of which two years were suspended.
The four were also fined a total of $81,700 and were forbidden to return to France for five years.
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