Bishop Emanuel Shaleta has resigned after pleading not guilty to stealing at least $270,000 from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, Calif.
Shaleta’s resignation was accepted by Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday.
New York Times reports that the 69 years old Bishop Shaleta who presided over the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, Calif., was arrested last Thursday at San Diego International Airport while trying to leave the country, the authorities said.
He was dragged before a California Superior Courtroom on Monday in El Cajon, where he pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges, which include embezzlement and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, if he is convicted.
The bishop’s resignation was announced in the Vatican’s daily bulletin on Tuesday.
Investigators said that a representative of the parish reported the missing money last August to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, providing financial statements to law enforcement authorities.
The bishop allegedly stole cash from rent payments for the use of a hall owned by the parish and tried to cover up the embezzlement with other church funds intended to the help the poor, the authorities said.
“That money effectively vanished,” Joel Madero, the county’s deputy district attorney, told reporters after Monday’s court hearing.
Prosecutors argued that Bishop Shaleta, who spent four nights in jail, was a flight risk.
“He was on his way to Germany,” Mr. Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties, we’re close to Mexico, I did believe that some bail to ensure that he shows up was appropriate.”
A judge set bail at $125,000 for Bishop Shaleta, who no longer appeared to be in custody as of Tuesday, according to a San Diego County inmate search. He will be required to wear a GPS monitor until his next court appearance in April.
In an email on Tuesday, Sharon Appelbaum, a lawyer for Bishop Shaleta, disputed the accusations.
“We fully intend to prove that Bishop Shaleta was not engaged in embezzlement or money laundering and we welcome the opportunity to confront these allegations directly in court,” she said.
Ms. Appelbaum said that Bishop Shaleta was not fleeing the country when he was detained. Instead, he was traveling on a round-trip ticket to Rome, with a connection in Germany, to meet with Vatican officials about his proposed resignation and a change to the parish’s leadership, she said.
The Vatican’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
During a Mass last month, Bishop Shaleta denied any wrongdoing, saying he had never 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,” the bishop said.
The parish stood by the bishop in a statement on its website, asking the Lord to protect him from negative attacks and expressing its solidarity.
In a statement on its website, the Chaldean Diocese of San Diego said some church members had filed complaints in connection to the mishandling of certain diocesan funds and allegations of inappropriate relationships.
“The Apostolic See, with the 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 diocese said. “The Patriarchate calls upon all the faithful to respond with prudence, charity and prayer — especially during this sacred season of Great Lent.”
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