Kirkland Pastor Indicted in Alleged $13 Million Investment Fraud

Federal prosecutors accuse a Kirkland pastor of using his church position to obtain at least $13 million in investments and loans for a Bellevue internet company and diverting millions for personal spending and stock trading.

Cristian Popescu, 46, of Bothell, pleaded not guilty October 13 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.

His trial is scheduled for December 21, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

Popescu is the pastor of Passion for Christ, a Christian congregation in Kirkland. The October 7 indictment identifies him as the founder and chief executive of Followone Inc.

Prosecutors allege that Popescu told prospective investors God had chosen them to invest in Followone and that the company’s profits would benefit the church and community, particularly children and older people.

When investors later questioned him or expressed doubts about the company, he invoked his church position, became angry and told them they were demonically possessed, the indictment alleges.

The alleged scheme began no later than July 2015. Prosecutors say Popescu obtained at least $13 million in investments and loans, and that investors lost most or all of their investments. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said more than 30 investors were involved.

Popescu promoted Followone as a global online marketplace and social network where users could buy and sell goods and services, including cars, real estate and travel.

The indictment alleges that the company generated no revenue, could not process purchases or sales and was never close to the public stock listing he repeatedly promised.

According to prosecutors, Popescu told investors a Nasdaq listing was only months away and would produce substantial gains. He encouraged them to draw on savings, take out personal or home-equity loans, and liquidate college funds and retirement accounts.

Some investors were offered board positions if they reached an investment threshold such as $1 million. Those who did were given titles but no financial information, decision-making power or oversight authority, the indictment says.

Prosecutors allege that Popescu supported his claims with misleading press releases, an expensive Bellevue office and webpages displaying vehicle and real estate listings obtained from outside sources. The indictment says those listings created the appearance of an active marketplace even though transactions could not be completed through the site.

It also describes circular transfers through companies Popescu controlled: Followone money was routed through other businesses and returned to Followone as purported payment for services that had never been provided.

An investor website displayed inflated values for investors’ holdings, at one point based on a $1.4 billion valuation for Followone, prosecutors allege. They say the company had little or no value and that Popescu concealed its eviction from the Bellevue office with more than $350,000 in unpaid rent.

When investors sought their money back, Popescu claimed repayment would interfere with an audit or the Nasdaq listing process, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges that Popescu transferred more than $4.5 million in Followone funds to personal bank accounts and paid himself more than $1 million in wages between 2017 and 2024.

It also alleges that he used company funds to pay roughly $1 million in personal credit-card debt and transferred nearly $900,000 to his personal stock-trading account.

The 10 wire-fraud counts concern transactions and emails from May 2022 through April 2026. The five money-laundering counts concern transfers between May 2022 and October 2024, including transfers to personal bank and brokerage accounts.

Popescu was ordered released on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial over prosecutors’ objections, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Wilkinson is prosecuting it.