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

The previous police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was apprehended Friday on larceny charges following accusations he stole $85,000 from two department accounts.


Karl Jacobson, 56, who suddenly retired from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later released on a of $150,000, a state district attorney stated in a news release. Jacobson deals with two counts of larceny associated to defrauding a public community.


"An accusation of embezzlement by a cops official is a major matter and possibly undermines public self-confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin stated in a statement.


Jacobson's legal representative, Gregory Cerritelli, said he might not react to the particular allegations yet however advised the general public that "an arrest is not proof of guilt and accusations are not evidence."


"This is the start of a really long process," he stated in an emailed declaration. "I prompt everyone 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 previous chief admitted he took cash from a city fund that compensates personal informants for assisting authorities resolve criminal activities.


Elicker stated the former chief acknowledged taking the funds for individual use when three of his deputies confronted him over the monetary irregularities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson informed the deputies he was investing excessive cash on sports wagering apps, was seeking assistance for a gambling dependency and intended to change the cash.


During the recorded discussion, Jacobson asked forgiveness and asked the deputies "for an opportunity to conserve myself" so he might avoid 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 between Jan. 1, 2025, and Jan. 5, 2026. He won more than $4.2 million however lost more than $214,000. Jacobson earned $180,000 a year as police chief.


The mayor called the allegations "stunning" during a Friday news conference and stated Jacobson initially admitted taking $10,000 from just one cops account.


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


"It ´ s a very sad day for the city to see a chief, who was beloved by so lots of individuals, apprehended for a theft of public money and also cash that was planned for kids," Elicker stated. Jacobson is implicated of likewise taking money from the police athletic league, which provides a series of programs for the city's youth.


Jacobson had actually served for three years as authorities chief in one of Connecticut ´ s largest 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 cops van in an event that roiled the police department and the city.


The state prosecutor's workplace stated Friday the city of New Haven initially reported the embezzlement allegations on Jan. 5, which triggered an examination by the Connecticut State Police. The probe revealed $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 used to pay private informants who assist in narcotics investigations.


"The accused had access to money because fund," according to a news release, which said bank records revealed checks related to the fund were deposited into Jacobson's personal bank account.


Two checks totaling $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund in between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The prosecutor's workplace stated both were found in Jacobson's individual account. Investigators said no one else at the cops department was associated with 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 nine years.