Dunphy Professor of the Practice in Religion David Little, who worked closely with Okhotin at Harvard, was even more downcast when he heard the verdict.

"That's extremely bad news, very troubling," he said. "We had all hoped he would be exonerated and he's not, so it's a very sad outcome I think."

Others lamented the loss of the $48,000.

Susan Clark, a family friend who has been active in organizing prayer vigils and other support activities for Okhotin among the Baptist community, said she was dismayed that the money would not yet reach its intended charitable purpose.

"It doesn't belong to Russia, the Russian system or whoever's pocket it ended up in," Clark said. "It belongs to God."

Homeward Bound?

Although the "uslovno" sentence gives Okhotin the freedom to leave Russia and return for the fall semester at the Divinity School, Okhotin said he may stay in Russia in order to appeal the guilty verdict.

"I know who's going to be splitting [the $48,000]--the people at customs," Okhotin said. "Just the thought of that makes me want to stay."

Okhotin's lawyer, Vladimir Ryakhovsky, said after the hearing that they could next appeal the verdict in the city courts and then to the Supreme Court if that fails.

Ryakhovsky said that he would seek to overturn the verdict based on the contention that Okhotin did not intentionally hide the money from customs and also that the money did not belong to Okhotin--so he should not be held accountable for it.

For the devout Baptist, today's verdict was a dissatisfying conclusion--or disappointing twist--to a five month ordeal that has been marked by prayer with his family, a month-long hunger strike and the study of several languages.

Yesterday brought more anxiety for the Okhotin family, as the judge did not walk into the courtroom until 3 p.m.--despite his pronouncement on Wednesday that the verdict would be given at 10 a.m.

Okhotin spent the day tensely pacing back and forth--sometimes holding the hand of his 10 month-old niece, Daniela--along the fifth floor hall of the Golovi Courthouse.

By the time Judge Yakovlev abruptly entered the sparse courtroom, Okhotin's crowd of supporters had dwindled down to family, a close friend and several journalists. The once-giggly Daniela was soundly sleeping on Okhotin's brother’s shoulder.

Once inside the courtroom, Yakovlev read his typed verdict without pausing to greet the court or look at the defendant.