Former Connecticut Police Chief Arrested Over Alleged $85,000 Theft
The former authorities chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested Friday on larceny charges following claims he stole $85,000 from 2 department accounts.
Karl Jacobson, 56, who abruptly retired from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later released on a court-set bond of $150,000, a state district attorney said in a news release. Jacobson deals with 2 counts of larceny related to defrauding a public community.
"An accusation of embezzlement by a cops authorities is a serious matter and possibly weakens public confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin stated in a declaration.
Jacobson's lawyer, Gregory Cerritelli, said he might not react to the specific accusations yet however reminded the public that "an arrest is not evidence of guilt and accusations are not evidence."
"This is the start of a long process," he stated in an emailed statement. "I prompt everybody to keep an open mind and prevent a rush to judgment."
Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, when revealing Jacobson's retirement, stated the former chief confessed he took cash from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for assisting authorities resolve criminal offenses.
Elicker stated the previous chief acknowledged taking the funds for personal use when three of his deputies challenged him over the monetary abnormalities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson informed the deputies he was spending excessive cash on sports betting apps, was looking for help for a betting dependency and planned to replace the cash.
During the tape-recorded conversation, Jacobson apologized and asked the deputies "for a chance to conserve myself" so he could avoid going to prison and losing his pension, according to the warrant.
Investigators determined that Jacobson wagered more than $4.4 million on his DraftKings and FanDuel accounts 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 accusations "stunning" throughout a Friday press conference and stated Jacobson initially admitted taking $10,000 from only one cops account.
"We didn't know how deep this went," Elicker stated, noting the case stays under examination.
"It ´ s a very unfortunate day for the city to see a chief, who was beloved by many individuals, apprehended for a theft of public money and likewise cash that was meant for kids," Elicker stated. Jacobson is accused of likewise taking money from the authorities athletic league, which provides a series of programs for the city's youth.
Jacobson had served for 3 years as cops chief in among Connecticut ´ s biggest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took workplace in July 2022, just weeks after a Black male was incapacitated in the back of a police van in an occurrence that roiled the police department and the city.
The state prosecutor's office said Friday the city of New Haven initially 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 between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2026. Money from the fund is utilized to pay confidential informants who assist in narcotics investigations.
"The defendant had access to money because fund," according to a press release, which said bank records showed checks associated with the fund were deposited into Jacobson's individual bank account.
Two checks amounting to $4,000 were likewise withdrawn from the New Haven League Fund between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The district attorney's office stated both were discovered in Jacobson's individual account. Investigators said no one else at the cops department was included in the matter.
Jacobson had 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.