MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man accused of shaving his head and taking weight loss pills to convince people he had stage 3 brain cancer and collect thousands in donations has pleaded not guilty.

Tyler Tomer of Wallingford entered the plea Thursday to charges of first-degree larceny and first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community.

Police say an investigation started in May after they received complaints that a man claiming to have cancer was collecting donations at benefits in his honor.

Police say there have been multiple benefits for the 29-year-old Tomer in Connecticut and Kansas. They say medical records determined he was never diagnosed with cancer.

Tomer allegedly accepted at least $22,000.

His attorney didn’t comment on the charges.