Washington pastor accused of $13M fraud after telling investors God picked them to invest

Cristian Popescu, 46, pastor of Passion for Christ in Kirkland, Washington, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Seattle to 10 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering - (iStock)

A Washington pastor allegedly defrauded more than 30 investors out of $13 million by promising lucrative returns from his tech company and claiming God had chosen them to invest.

Cristian Popescu, 46, who leads Passion for Christ, a Christian congregation in Kirkland, Washington, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 10 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering in federal court in Seattle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced.