The Pillar

Home
About
News
Pillar Posts
Analysis
Interviews
Explainers
On Leo's Desk
Data
Pillar Columns
Starting Seven
The Pillar Podcast
Sunday School
Look Closer
The Pillar TL;DR
News
—
Bishop Emanuel Shaleta
—
Chaldean Catholic Church

Shaleta rejects plea deal as preliminary hearing begins

The bishop could face up to 15 years in prison if he is found guilty.

Michelle La Rosa
Aug 27, 2026
∙ Paid

Chaldean Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, who is facing more than a dozen charges of money laundering and embezzlement, is expected to face a criminal trial after rejecting the possibility of a plea deal, sources told The Pillar.

A potential plea deal could have seen the bishop handed probation instead of prison time, if he agreed to plead guilty to some lesser c…

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 The Pillar · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture