A former high-ranking leader of St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, who is facing criminal charges of embezzlement and money laundering, directed his secretary to start providing rent payments from a church tenant in cash directly to him, which was a departure from the church’s usual money-handling procedures, according to testimony delivered Thursday.
Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, 69, is accused of taking around $272,000 from the church by collecting monthly rent payments in cash from a tenant of the church’s social hall, payments which typically would have been deposited via check into a bank account dedicated to church operations.
Shaleta, who remains out of custody and has since resigned from his post, appeared in court this week for a hearing to determine if he will go to trial on 16 embezzlement and money laundering charges he faces. The hearing is expected to conclude on Friday…