US pastor accused of defrauding church members of $13 million after allegedly claiming God chose them to fund his business

A 46-year-old pastor in Washington, United States, Cristian Popescu, has been indicted for allegedly defrauding members of his church of $13 million through a business investment scheme.

According to federal prosecutors, Popescu, who leads Passion for Christ, a Christian congregation in Kirkland, allegedly told church members that God had chosen them to invest in his company, Followone Inc., a Bellevue-based startup he described as an e-commerce platform and social network.

Prosecutors claimed he misrepresented the company's revenue, stock value and plans to be listed on Nasdaq to attract approximately 30 investors.

At one point, he allegedly claimed the company was worth $1.4 billion despite knowing it had little or no value.

Popescu reportedly promised investors positions on the company's board in exchange for investments of $1 million and encouraged some to withdraw money from their retirement accounts and children's education savings.

Investigators alleged that he diverted investors' funds through shell companies and fabricated invoices, transferring more than $4.5 million into accounts belonging to himself and his family members.

He also allegedly paid himself over $1 million in wages between 2017 and 2024 and placed his wife on the company's payroll, paying her approximately $300,000 despite claims that she performed no work.

When some investors demanded refunds, Popescu allegedly accused them of being possessed by evil spirits.

The pastor faces 10 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. He was arraigned before a federal court in Seattle and released under electronic monitoring.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and 10 years for each money laundering count, alongside possible fines.