A 73-year-old Hungarian man known in the media as the “Zala county fake Jesus” has been arrested in Italy after fleeing Hungary to avoid serving a prison sentence for defrauding his followers of HUF millions. Hungarian and Italian authorities have since begun extradition proceedings, although no date has yet been set for fake Jesus’ return to Hungary. Fake Jesus sentenced to four and a half years in prisonThe man was the subject of a nationwide arrest warrant after failing to report to prison to begin serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence. He organised group sessions and private consultations in several Hungarian cities, including Zalaegerszeg, Nagykanizsa, Pécs, Budapest and Böhönye. While acknowledging that he was not Jesus, he maintained that he nevertheless possessed exceptional spiritual knowledge.