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

The former authorities chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was apprehended Friday on larceny charges following claims he took $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 court-set bond of $150,000, a state prosecutor said in a news release. Jacobson deals with two counts of larceny related to defrauding a public neighborhood.


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


Jacobson's attorney, Gregory Cerritelli, stated he might not react to the specific allegations yet however advised the public that "an arrest is not proof of regret and allegations are not evidence."


"This is the start of an extremely long process," he said in an emailed declaration. "I advise everybody to keep an open mind and avoid a rush to judgment."


Last month, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, when revealing Jacobson's retirement, stated the former chief admitted he took cash from a city fund that compensates personal informants for helping police resolve criminal offenses.


Elicker said the previous chief acknowledged taking the funds for personal use when three of his deputies faced him over the financial irregularities. According to the arrest warrant, Jacobson told the deputies he was investing too much cash on sports betting apps, was looking for aid for a gaming dependency and planned to replace the cash.


During the tape-recorded discussion, Jacobson apologized and asked the deputies "for an opportunity to save myself" so he might avoid 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 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 authorities chief.


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


"We didn't know how deep this went," stated, noting the case remains under examination.


"It ´ s an extremely unfortunate day for the city to see a chief, who was precious by a lot of individuals, jailed for a theft of public money and also money that was meant for kids," Elicker said. Jacobson is accused of likewise taking money from the police athletic league, which offers a range of programs for the city's youth.


Jacobson had actually served for 3 years as authorities chief in among Connecticut ´ s biggest cities, which is home to Yale University. He took workplace in July 2022, simply weeks after a Black male was disabled in the back of an authorities van in an incident that roiled the authorities department and the city.


The state prosecutor'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 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 confidential informants who assist in narcotics investigations.


"The defendant had access to cash in that fund," according to a news release, which said bank records showed checks connected with 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 office said both were found in Jacobson's individual account. Investigators said no one else at the police department was involved in 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 nine years.