LOS ANGELES—A 56-year-old Southern Californian pastor, hailing from Los Angeles, Kenny Man Wong, or ‘Dr. Wong’ to parishioners, stands accused of taking advantage of church members of which he was a visiting pastor at an unnamed Sunset District church on 19th Avenue since 2018.
After he had gained the trust of the congregation, he used their shared faith as a means to turn it against them by using their struggles as a way to take advantage of them. He offered legal services to the congregation, claiming he was an attorney, who was affiliated with well-known universities. Unbeknownst to his well-meaning victims, he conned them out of a loss of $400,000 in order to purchase a home in Southern California, assuring them that he was working on their cases.
In reality, Wong had never been licensed to practice law in California. It was just a means to steal from the parishioners. If anyone has a need to seek out legal advice, please verify with the California State Bar that their chosen attorney is licensed, and they are in good standing. website here: https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/LicenseeSearch/QuickSearch
On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 1:30 in the afternoon in Department 19 at the Hall of Justice, Wong was arraigned on four charges of grand theft. He pleaded not guilty to all four counts of grand theft. Wong’s next preliminary hearing is set for Thursday, October 2, 2025.
This is still an active case even though charges have been filed. If anyone has any further information in this case, please let the District Attorney Investigator Gavorian know at (415) 916-9443. The call could remain anonymous.
