Good Thing Lazarus Wasn't Russian: Grigory Grabovoy Convicted of Fraud

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Raising the dead got a whole lot harder on Monday after a Moscow court found re-animator Grigory Grabovoy guilty of 11 counts of fraud. Grabovoy sat stoically behind bars of iron as he was castigated for what his followers consider to be "miracles."

Grabovoy has long been the target of those skeptical of alleged claims that he could resurrect the dead, cure cancer and AIDS, teleport and pinpoint mechanical problems on airplanes (and I'm not talking about the jet mechanics' local). But the Kazakh-born Grabovoy jumped to national prominence in 2005 after offering mothers of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis help resurrecting their children for a nominal fee (no more than $2,000).

As his fame and support grew so too did his detractors, who both feared his power and claimed that he was exploiting parents in mourning. Other said he was a charlatan and demanded "proof" of his resurrecting powers.

Grabovoy has been sentenced to 11 years of hard labor. It remains unclear whether Monday's verdict could be overturned were he to teleport out of his cell, or if he would instead be charged with breaking out of prison.