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 allegations 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 on released on a court-set bond of $150,000, a state prosecutor stated in a news release. Jacobson deals with 2 counts of larceny related to defrauding a public neighborhood.


"A claims of embezzlement by an authorities authorities is a major matter and potentially weakens public confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a declaration.


Jacobson's lawyer, Gregory Cerritelli, stated he could not react to the specific claims yet however reminded the general public that "an arrest is not proof of guilt and allegations are not evidence."


"This is the beginning of a very long procedure," he stated in an emailed statement. "I urge 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 confessed he took cash from a city fund that compensates confidential informants for assisting authorities resolve crimes.


Elicker said the former chief acknowledged taking the funds for individual use when 3 of his deputies challenged him over the monetary abnormalities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson informed the deputies he was investing excessive cash on sports betting apps, was seeking help for a gaming dependency and intended to change the cash.


During the recorded discussion, Jacobson apologized and asked the deputies "for a chance to conserve myself" so he could prevent going to prison and losing his pension, according to the warrant.


Investigators figured out that Jacobson wagered 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 made $180,000 a year as authorities chief.


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


"We didn't understand how deep this went," Elicker said, noting the case remains under examination.


"It ´ s a very sad day for the city to see a chief, who was cherished by many people, jailed for a theft of public cash and also cash that was planned for children," Elicker said. Jacobson is accused of also taking cash from the authorities athletic league, which offers a variety of programs for the city's youth.


Jacobson had served for three years as police chief in one of Connecticut ´ s biggest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took office in July 2022, simply weeks after a Black male was disabled in the back of a paddy wagon in an incident that roiled the authorities department and the city.


The state district attorney's office said Friday the city of New Haven first reported the embezzlement allegations on Jan. 5, which prompted an investigation by the Connecticut State Police. The probe exposed $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated 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 personal informants who help in narcotics examinations.


"The defendant had access to money in that fund," according to a press release, which said bank records showed checks connected with the fund were transferred into Jacobson's personal checking account.


Two checks totaling $4,000 were likewise withdrawn from the New Haven League Fund between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The district attorney's workplace stated both were discovered in Jacobson's personal account. Investigators stated no one else at the authorities department was involved in the matter.


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