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

The former authorities chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was detained Friday on larceny charges following allegations he took $85,000 from two department accounts.


Karl Jacobson, 56, who quickly retired from the department in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He was later on launched on a court-set bond of $150,000, a state prosecutor said in a press release. Jacobson faces 2 counts of larceny associated to defrauding a public neighborhood.


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


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


"This is the start of a long procedure," he said in an emailed statement. "I urge everyone to keep an open mind and prevent a rush to judgment."


Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, when announcing Jacobson's retirement, said the former chief confessed he took cash from a city fund that compensates personal informants for assisting authorities solve criminal activities.


Elicker said the previous chief acknowledged taking the funds for personal usage when 3 of his deputies confronted him over the financial irregularities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson told the deputies he was spending excessive cash on sports betting apps, was seeking help for a gambling addiction and intended to change the cash.


During the taped conversation, Jacobson asked forgiveness and asked the "for a chance to conserve myself" so he might avoid going to jail 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 however lost more than $214,000. Jacobson made $180,000 a year as police chief.


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


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


"It ´ s a very unfortunate day for the city to see a chief, who was precious by a lot of people, detained for a theft of public money and also cash that was meant for kids," Elicker stated. Jacobson is accused of also taking cash from the authorities athletic league, which supplies a series of programs for the city's youth.


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


The state prosecutor's office said Friday the city of New Haven initially reported the embezzlement accusations on Jan. 5, which triggered 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 between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2026. Money from the fund is utilized to pay personal informants who help in narcotics examinations.


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


Two checks amounting to $4,000 were likewise withdrawn from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund in between Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 2025. The district attorney's office stated both were found in Jacobson's personal account. Investigators said no one else at the cops 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.