The Chaldean former bishop of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego, Emanuel Shaleta, will stand trial in California, United States, charged with 16 serious counts of embezzlement and money laundering related to Church funds. A judge determined, after a two-day preliminary hearing, that there is sufficient evidence for the criminal proceedings to continue.
Shaleta, who has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to all counts in March, could face up to 15 years in prison if ultimately convicted.
During the hearing held in a court in El Cajon, San Diego County, employees and financial officers of the Chaldean cathedral of St. Peter testified. The testimonies focused especially on the handling of income from the rental of the cathedral’s social hall.
Monthly cash payments of nearly $34,000
The hall manager stated that until March 2024 he paid a monthly rent of $33,990 by check, but was then instructed to begin delivering the money in cash.
The cathedral’s administrative officer testified that it was Shaleta who instructed her to request payments in that manner. According to her testimony, when she asked why, the then-bishop replied that the cash was needed “for the needy in Iraq.”
The employee stated that she handed those payments directly to Shaleta and that the system continued for approximately six months.
According to the testimonies given during the hearing, the rental payments were supposed to be deposited into an account designated for church works. Shaleta allegedly later issued checks for equivalent amounts from another account intended to help people in need in order to replenish those funds.
A member of the finance committee testified that the institution’s rules required two signatures for such transactions. The checks examined during the proceedings, however, were allegedly signed only by Shaleta.
The administrative officer stated that after several months she reported the situation to members of the finance committee.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars under investigation
Suspicions about the former bishop’s financial management arose after discrepancies were detected in the accounts of the eparchy and the cathedral.
The criminal investigation maintains that Shaleta allegedly received personally significant amounts of cash from the rentals and other activities linked to church operations. When asked to justify the destination of the money, he claimed it had been given to people in need in Iraq, but investigators maintain that he provided no documentation to support those disbursements.
Authorities initially estimated the allegedly embezzled rental-related funds at around $272,000. The investigation’s documentation also indicated discrepancies of more than $400,000 in an account intended to help people in need.
Shaleta has maintained from the beginning of the proceedings that he did not misappropriate Church funds and asserts that the charges are false.
Arrested in March at San Diego Airport
The prelate was detained on March 5 at San Diego International Airport as he was about to leave the United States. At that time he was carrying more than $9,000 in cash.
After remaining in custody for several days, he was released after posting a $125,000 bond. The court ordered that he remain under GPS monitoring and revoked his passport while the proceedings continue.
Leo XIV subsequently accepted his resignation from the governance of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego. Shaleta had submitted his resignation earlier in the year, amid a canonical investigation into his administration.
The former bishop continues to maintain his innocence. With the preliminary hearing now concluded, the case will proceed to trial on the 16 counts of embezzlement and money laundering against him.