Pleads Not Guilty for Spending $ at Brothel
People donated money to help the poor. He redirected it into his own pocket and was tracked crossing the border to a brothel multiple times a week.
Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, 69, head of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego, was arrested on March 5, 2026. He was detained at San Diego International Airport while reportedly attempting to leave the country. He faces 8 counts of embezzlement, 8 counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated white-collar crime. He pleaded not guilty.
An investigation by The Pillar, a Catholic news outlet, found that Shaleta directed tenants to pay rent in cash directly to him. He “reimbursed” the church from its own charity account. More than $420,000 is unaccounted for. Some estimates reach $1 million.
A private investigator also documented Shaleta’s regular late-night trips. He visited the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club, a known brothel in Tijuana, sometimes dozens of times per month.
On March 10, Pope Leo XIV accepted Shaleta’s resignation. The Vatican’s own investigation confirmed the brothel visits. Shaleta is currently held on $125,000 bail, monitored by GPS, with his passport confiscated. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
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