Former Connecticut Police Chief Arrested Over Alleged $85,000 Theft
The previous police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was jailed Friday on larceny charges following claims he stole $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 news release. Jacobson deals with 2 counts of larceny associated to defrauding a public community.
"An allegation of embezzlement by an authorities official is a major matter and potentially weakens public self-confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement.
Jacobson's legal representative, Gregory Cerritelli, stated he might not react to the particular accusations yet however reminded the general public that "an arrest is not evidence of guilt and accusations are not proof."
"This is the start of a very long procedure," he said in an emailed declaration. "I advise everybody to keep an open mind and avoid a rush to judgment."
Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, when announcing Jacobson's retirement, stated the previous chief admitted he took cash from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for helping authorities resolve criminal activities.
Elicker said the former chief acknowledged taking the funds for individual usage when 3 of his deputies confronted him over the monetary irregularities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson informed the deputies he was investing too much money on sports betting apps, was seeking assistance for a betting dependency and intended to replace the cash.
During the recorded conversation, Jacobson apologized and asked the deputies "for an opportunity to conserve 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 however lost more than $214,000. Jacobson made $180,000 a year as police chief.
The mayor called the allegations "stunning" during a Friday news conference and stated Jacobson initially confessed taking $10,000 from just one authorities account.
"We didn't understand how deep this went," Elicker said, noting the case stays under examination.
"It ´ s a really sad day for the city to see a chief, who was beloved by so numerous individuals, apprehended for a theft of public money and likewise money that was intended for children," Elicker stated. Jacobson is implicated of also taking money from the cops athletic league, which offers a series of programs for the city's youth.
Jacobson had served for 3 years as cops chief in one of Connecticut ´ s largest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took workplace in July 2022, simply weeks after a Black man was immobilized in the back of a paddy wagon in an occurrence that roiled the cops department and the city.
The state prosecutor's office stated Friday the city of New Haven initially reported the embezzlement allegations on Jan. 5, which prompted an investigation by the Connecticut State Police. The probe revealed $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated 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 personal informants who help in narcotics investigations.
"The accused had access to cash in that fund," according to a press release, which stated bank records showed checks related to the fund were deposited into Jacobson's individual .
Two checks amounting to $4,000 were likewise withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The district attorney's office said both were found in Jacobson's personal account. Investigators stated no one else at the police department was associated with the matter.
Jacobson had been with the department for 15 years before being named chief. He formerly served in the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island for 9 years.