Florida gun-running defendants may face terror charge

By Patrick Markey

The four Irish nationals being charged with shipping arms from Florida to Ireland will hear this week whether the prosecution intends to file another indictment charging them with terrorism.

Although charges have been dropped against a woman accused of receiving the weapons in Ireland, the four Florida defendants will appear before a judge on Monday to determine whether their trial will go ahead on Jan. 31, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Florida.

Martin Mullan, Conor Claxton, Anthony Smyth and Siobhan Browne were arrested in July after federal authorities charged them with mailing handguns, shotguns and ammunition from Florida and Philadelphia to Ireland and Britain. British customs officials intercepted several packages of arms at a midlands airport.

All four defendants face charges of conspiracy, unlawful shipment of firearms and illegal exportation of weapons from the United States. Prosecutors may file a superseding indictment that could accuse the four of terrorism.

The case sparked a furor in Northern Ireland, where Unionists seized upon claims by one of the defendants that he was working under orders from the IRA. His lawyer has denied he made those statements.

A week ago, the director of public prosecutions in charge of the case in Ireland dropped the charges against Jacqueline McIntyre, the Galway woman who was accused of receiving some of the weapons. McIntyre’s attorney in Galway could not be reached for comment.