MACEDONIA

American caught with ancient coins

An American who was caught trying to leave Macedonia with more than 200 ancient coins has been convicted of violating the country’s strict law protecting it archaeological heritage and given a two-year suspended sentence.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the court also banned 45-year-old Candace Lynn Dunlap, a nurse from Meridianville, Alabama, from returning to Macedonia for 10 years.

Dunlap was arrested at the country’s main airport last month with 256 coins in her carry-on luggage. Local news media said the coins were up to 2,200 years old.

The defendant said she was given the coins by a Macedonian man as a present and was unaware of any wrongdoing.

Dunlap was due to leave Macedonia late Wednesday night.