Chaldean bishop under investigation for alleged embezzling, personal misconduct

East County News Service

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Bishop Shaleta in May 2024 at opening of incubator business center for refugees and immigrants in El Cajon

February 25, 2026 (El Cajon) – Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, the top official at St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego Chaldean church in El Cajon, is under investigation by the Sheriff’s fraud unit for alleged “financial mishandling” of funds. NBC 7, an ECM news partner, reports that the Sheriff’s office confirmed an investigation has been launched after an article in The Pillar, a Catholic media outlet, raised allegations of possible embezzlement as well as personal improprieties including visits to a brothel in Tijuana.

The article reports that documents indicate that rental payments from a church-owned social hall were paid directly to Bishop Shaleta, who later repaid the money with funds intended to help poor people. The Pillar’s investigative news report reported that at least $427,000 is missing and possibly as much as a million dollars. The Catholic news site indicated that Shaleta, when asked about the irregularities, said he distributed money directly to families in need and “reimbursed” the parish with funds from the charity account.

The Bishop has not responded to requests for comments from local media outlets. However, Fox 5 reports that during mass on February 23, the Bishop denied any financial wrongdoing, stating, “I have never in my priestly life or episcopal life abused any penny of the church money. On the contrary I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the church properly.”

Shaleta  told the congregation that a donor from the community gave him money to give to the poor and did not ask for the transaction to be documented. He added that a member of the church’s financial committee then reported that undocumented money to the Vatican without informing Shaleta. 

“The Vatican did an investigation about me without even notifying me.” Shaleta said. “I wrote a letter to the Vatican saying, ‘If you don’t trust me, I will resign from my work.” He called reports “a mean and vicious media campaign funded by very rich people against the Chaldean Church and its clergy.” A video of his full response can ben seen on the Church’s YouTube page.

Shaleta did not directly address the allegations of personal misconduct raised by investigative reporters for the Pillar. The publication reported that it had obtained a report from a private investigator who followed the Bishop and claimed Shaleta has regularly taken a shuttle reserved for visitors to a Tijuana brothel named the Hong Kong Billionaire’s Club.

The private investigator also reportedly found Shaleta frequently visiting the home of a woman he met when both worked at a church in Michigan, with whom he shares a bank account. According to The Pillar, the two had access to each other’s homes and were often together for long periods of time; the Bishop also reportedly had a close relationship with the woman’s children.

In a prepared statement, the Chaldean Patriarchate confirmed that some church members have filed complaints against Bishop Shaleta regarding “mishandling of certain diocesan funds and allegations of inappropriate relationships,” but added that information on social media was circulated “before all facts were fully clarified.”

The statement indicates that complaints require “careful and objective review” and “should not be resolved outside of the appropriate process.” The Apostolic See, which knowledge and cooperation of the Patriarchate, has “conducted thorough investigations in order to ascertain the facts and reach a just and impartial decision, so that no one may be wronged,” the statement adds, also asking the faithful to respond with “prudence, charity, and prayer—especially during this sacred season of Great Lent.”