New judicial documents published in the United States have brought to light details of the serious economic and personal accusations weighing on Chaldean Bishop Bawai Shaleta, former head of the Chaldean Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle, based in El Cajón, California, and with jurisdiction over much of the western United States.
According to The Pillar, a partially declassified arrest warrant confirms that the prelate is accused of money laundering and embezzlement, following an investigation that detected the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from ecclesiastical accounts. The case ultimately led to the Pope Leo XIV accepting his resignation on March 10, the same day that the Chaldean Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, also stepped down.
More than 427,000 dollars missing
The judicial order states that suspicions began in December 2024, when “discrepancies” were detected in the bank accounts of the eparchy and the Chaldean cathedral.
Investigators claim that approximately 427,345 dollars disappeared from an account intended to help needy people over an eight-month period.
According to the accusation, Shaleta would have organized a system whereby certain rental payments for ecclesiastical properties were made directly in cash to the bishop himself. Subsequently, checks were issued from a charitable account of the diocese to cover the missing money in other parish accounts.
The judicial documentation states that the cash received “was never redeposited” into the corresponding accounts.
Trips, cash, and lack of documentation
The investigation also points out that the bishop would have received cash related to ecclesiastical trips, perpetual masses, and other expenses linked to parish activities.
When authorities requested explanations about those funds, Shaleta would not have been able to provide documentation justifying the destination of the money. Later, he assured that part of those amounts were delivered to needy people in Iraq, although without presenting additional evidence, according to the affidavit incorporated into the case.
The bishop was arrested on March 5 at San Diego airport while attempting to leave the United States carrying more than 9,000 dollars in cash and with a flight booked to Europe.
Accusations of improper personal conduct
In addition to the financial accusations, The Pillar recalls that the Vatican investigation also addressed alleged improper personal conduct by the prelate.
Among them, the U.S. media mentions supposed frequent trips to a Tijuana brothel linked to sexual exploitation networks and the existence of a close relationship with a woman with whom he shared a bank account and free access to their respective homes.
Shaleta denies the accusations and claims to be the victim of a campaign against him driven by sectors of the Chaldean community dissatisfied with his pastoral governance.
The shadow over Cardinal Sako
The case also caused strong tensions within the Chaldean Church. According to The Pillar, Cardinal Sako would have attempted to promote in Rome the transfer of Shaleta to an administrative position in Baghdad even after the investigation had begun.
Although the patriarch acknowledged having raised that possibility with Vatican officials, he assured that he did so before fully knowing the scope of the case.
However, various sources cited by The Pillar maintain that the Vatican already had detailed reports on the investigation before those efforts.
The simultaneous acceptance of the resignations of Sako and Shaleta was interpreted by numerous observers as a gesture of displeasure from the Holy See regarding the internal management of the scandal.
He could face 15 years in prison
Shaleta pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts of money laundering and embezzlement filed against him.
He is currently free on $125,000 bail and under GPS monitoring while awaiting trial.
If ultimately convicted, he could face a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.