Bishop Emanuel Shaleta of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego was detained on March 5 at the international airport in that city while he was “attempting to leave the country,” the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office announced.
The 69-year-old bishop was arrested on eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering, and one count of the so-called “aggravated white-collar crime,” under California law.
The last charge, also known as the “freeze and seize” law, is applied in cases involving multiple acts of fraud or embezzlement that result in losses exceeding 100,000 dollars.
Shaleta is currently being held at the Central Jail in San Diego, with bail set at 125,000 dollars, and judicial approval is required for the payment of bail and any potential release.
His first court hearing has been scheduled for March 9 before the Superior Court of California in the city of El Cajon, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office told OSV News.
On March 4, the portal The Pillar reported that Shaleta had planned a trip to Rome after earlier this year submitting his resignation to the Vatican.
The Chaldean Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches which, together with the Latin Church led by the Pope as Bishop of Rome, form the Catholic Church.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, on August 19, 2025, a representative of St. Peter’s Church in El Cajon reported possible embezzlement of church funds and submitted documentation.
After an initial review, the case was taken over by the financial crimes unit.
In a statement, the Chaldean Patriarchate said that some members of the eparchy had filed complaints against the bishop over improper management of eparchial funds and alleged inappropriate relationships.
The message from the patriarchate noted that information had spread on social media before all the facts had been established, emphasizing that such accusations require a careful and objective investigation through the appropriate process.
It added that the Holy See, in cooperation with the patriarchate, conducted thorough investigations in order to establish the facts and reach a just decision.
According to The Pillar, Shaleta submitted his resignation at the end of January following a Vatican investigation into large-scale embezzlement and personal misconduct.
It is alleged that he took hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from the cathedral and later attempted to replace the missing money with checks signed by him from the account of a church charitable organization.
The portal also stated that financial documents show he “reimbursed” the money with checks from the cathedral’s charity account after allegedly asking tenants and other individuals to pay money to the church in cash through him, with part of the money not being recorded.
In addition to financial irregularities, Shaleta allegedly regularly visited the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, which is claimed to operate as a brothel near the U.S.–Mexico border.
According to the investigative center InSight Crime, the club is linked to prostitution and human trafficking networks in the region.
Citing a report by a private investigator sent to the Vatican, The Pillar claims that a retired FBI agent saw the bishop’s car in the club’s parking lot and that the bishop allegedly used a special transportation service that takes guests to that location.
The report also claims that Shaleta had a joint bank account with a woman who had previously been a secretary in his parish while he served as a priest in Michigan. It is also stated that the woman frequently stayed with him in Toronto and San Diego, where she allegedly moved.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: National Catholic ReporterFoto: OSV News/Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego)