Former Connecticut Police Chief Arrested Over Alleged $85,000 Theft

The former authorities chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was apprehended Friday on larceny charges following claims he took $85,000 from 2 department accounts.


Karl Jacobson, 56, who quickly retired from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later launched on a court-set bond of $150,000, a state prosecutor stated in a press release. Jacobson faces two counts of larceny related to defrauding a public community.


"An allegation of embezzlement by a cops authorities is a serious matter and possibly weakens public self-confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin stated in a declaration.


Jacobson's attorney, Gregory Cerritelli, said he could not react to the specific allegations yet however advised the general public that "an arrest is not evidence of regret and accusations are not evidence."


"This is the start of a long process," he said in an emailed statement. "I advise everyone to keep an open mind and avoid a rush to judgment."


Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, when revealing Jacobson's retirement, said the former chief confessed he took money from a city fund that compensates personal informants for helping police fix criminal activities.


Elicker said the former chief acknowledged taking the funds for individual use when three of his deputies faced him over the financial abnormalities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson informed the deputies he was investing excessive cash on sports betting apps, was looking for help for a gaming addiction and planned to replace the cash.


During the tape-recorded conversation, Jacobson apologized and asked the deputies "for a chance to save myself" so he might prevent going to prison and losing his pension, according to the warrant.


Investigators determined that Jacobson bet more than $4.4 million on his DraftKings and FanDuel accounts in between Jan. 1, 2025, and Jan. 5, 2026. He won more than $4.2 million but lost more than $214,000. Jacobson earned $180,000 a year as authorities chief.


The mayor called the claims "shocking" throughout a Friday press conference and stated Jacobson at first confessed taking $10,000 from just one police account.


"We didn't understand how deep this went," Elicker stated, keeping in mind the case stays under investigation.


"It ´ s an extremely sad day for the city to see a chief, who was precious by a lot of people, arrested for a theft of public cash and likewise money that was intended for children," Elicker said. Jacobson is implicated of likewise taking money from the cops athletic league, which provides a variety of programs for the city's youth.


Jacobson had actually served for three years as police chief in one of Connecticut ´ s biggest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took workplace in July 2022, just weeks after a Black male was disabled in the back of a police van in an event that roiled the cops department and the city.


The state prosecutor's workplace said Friday the city of New Haven first reported the embezzlement claims on Jan. 5, which triggered an investigation by the Connecticut State Police. The probe exposed $81,500 was unaccounted for or abused from the New Haven Police Department Narcotic Enforcement Fund in between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2026. Money from the fund is used to pay private informants who assist in narcotics investigations.


"The accused had access to money because fund," according to a press release, which stated bank records revealed checks associated with the fund were deposited into Jacobson's personal monitoring account.


Two checks amounting to $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The office stated both were found in Jacobson's individual account. Investigators stated no one else at the police department was involved in the matter.


Jacobson had actually been with the department for 15 years before being named chief. He previously served in the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island for 9 years.