A Southern California man who served as a visiting pastor at a San Francisco church is facing multiple charges after he allegedly defrauded members out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced that 56-year-old Kenny Man Wong of Los Angeles has been charged with four counts of grand theft. At his arraignment Tuesday afternoon, Wong pled not guilty to all charges and denied the allegations.

Wong served at a church on 19th Avenue in the city's Sunset District starting in 2018. The DA's office did not disclose the name of the church.

Known to the congregation as "Dr. Wong," prosecutors said he used his position of trust to learn members' personal and legal struggles. He then allegedly offered legal services to parishioners, saying he was also an attorney affiliated with prestigious universities.

Over a period of several years, prosecutors said he extracted money from members who trusted him the most and assured them he was "working on their case." When victims confronted Wong, he allegedly continued to reassure victims, citing their shared faith.

According to the DA's office, victims lost more than $400,000 to Wong, who used the funds to purchase a home in Southern California.

Prosecutors said Wong has never been licensed to practice law in California and did not render any of the promised legal services.

The DA's office urged anyone seeking legal services to verify with the California State Bar that their attorney is licensed and in good standing. The bar offers a free database on their website.

Wong's next court date is on Oct. 2, to set a date for the preliminary hearing in the case.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Investigator Gavorian of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office at 415-916-9443.