Franco Zeffirelli Convicted in Rome in Currency Case
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ROME — An Italian court Friday convicted movie director Franco Zeffirelli of violating currency control laws and sentenced him to a year in jail and a fine equivalent to about $500,000.
The Rome court found the filmmaker, who also is known for his opera productions, guilty on charges of holding about $400,000 in an account with the Bank of America and Italy. Under Italian currency laws, Italian residents may not normally hold dollar bank accounts with banks based in Italy.
Zeffirelli fought the charge on grounds that he is based in Tunisia. His lawyers filed an appeal.
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