Manuel Noriega Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison by French Court

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was sentenced to seven years in prison by a French court Wednesday on charges of money laundering. However, Noriega's lawyer reportedly told CNN that the former dictator may be eligible for parole as early as 2011. Noriega has additionally been fined for $2.7 million, the amount he reportedly laundered through French banks in drug trafficking. Noriega was extradited from the US to France in April and has remained a prisoner since the 1989 US invasion of Panama. The former dictator will be 83-years-old upon release if he ends up serving his full seven-year prison sentence.