Former Connecticut Police Chief Arrested Over Alleged $85,000 Theft
The previous cops chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was detained 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 district attorney stated in a news release. Jacobson deals with 2 counts of larceny related to defrauding a public neighborhood.
"An allegation of embezzlement by an authorities official is a serious matter and potentially weakens public self-confidence in the criminal justice system," Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin stated in a statement.
Jacobson's attorney, Gregory Cerritelli, stated he might not react to the particular claims yet but reminded the public that "an arrest is not proof of regret and accusations are not evidence."
"This is the start of an extremely long process," he said in an . "I advise everyone 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 private informants for helping cops solve crimes.
Elicker stated 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 told the deputies he was spending excessive money on sports betting apps, was looking for aid for a betting addiction and planned to change the money.
During the taped discussion, Jacobson said sorry and asked the deputies "for a chance to conserve myself" so he might avoid going to prison and losing his pension, according to the warrant.
Investigators identified 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 earned $180,000 a year as authorities chief.
The mayor called the claims "stunning" throughout a Friday news conference and stated Jacobson initially confessed taking $10,000 from only one authorities account.
"We didn't understand how deep this went," Elicker stated, noting the case remains under investigation.
"It ´ s an extremely unfortunate day for the city to see a chief, who was precious by many individuals, jailed for a theft of public cash and also cash that was meant for children," Elicker stated. Jacobson is accused of likewise taking money from the authorities athletic league, which offers a series of programs for the city's youth.
Jacobson had actually served for 3 years as cops chief in one of Connecticut ´ s biggest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took workplace in July 2022, simply weeks after a Black guy was incapacitated in the back of a cops van 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 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 private informants who assist in narcotics investigations.
"The offender had access to cash in that fund," according to a press release, which stated bank records showed checks connected with the fund were transferred into Jacobson's personal monitoring account.
Two checks amounting to $4,000 were also withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund in between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The district attorney's office said 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 named chief. He previously served in the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island for 9 years.