Former Connecticut police chief arrested for allegedly stealing $85K in public funds

Former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson was arrested Friday connected larceny charges aft authorities alleged helium stole $85,000 from 2 metropolis funds, prosecutors said.

Karl Jacobson, who stepped down from the section successful January, turned himself successful connected an apprehension warrant and was aboriginal released connected a $150,000 court-set bond. He faces 2 counts of larceny tied to alleged fraud involving nationalist funds.

"An allegation of embezzlement by a constabulary authoritative is simply a superior substance and perchance undermines nationalist assurance successful the transgression justness system," Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said successful a statement.

Jacobson’s lawyer, Gregory Cerritelli, said successful a connection provided to Fox News Digital that helium couldn’t respond to the circumstantial allegations, but noted that "an apprehension is not grounds of guilt and allegations are not proof."

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Former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson was arrested connected larceny charges aft prosecutors alleged helium stole $85,000 from metropolis funds. (City of New Haven via AP)

"This is the opening of a precise agelong process," helium stated. "I impulse everyone to support an unfastened caput and debar a unreserved to judgment."

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the allegations "shocking" during a quality conference, and helium said the erstwhile constabulary main had astatine archetypal lone admitted taking $10,000 from 1 account.

"We didn’t cognize however heavy this went," Elicker said, adding that the apprehension warrant outlined that Jacobson had "severe issues" with gambling.

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Authorities allege erstwhile New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson misappropriated $85,000 from 2 metropolis funds. (New Haven Police Department)

"It’s a precise bittersweet time for the metropolis to spot a chief, who was beloved by truthful galore people, arrested for a theft of nationalist wealth and besides wealth that was intended for children," Elicker said.

Last month, Elicker announced Jacobson’s retirement, saying the erstwhile main acknowledged taking wealth from a metropolis money utilized to wage confidential informants who assistance successful narcotics investigations, according to The Associated Press.

Elicker besides said the erstwhile main had confessed to taking the funds for idiosyncratic usage aft being confronted by 3 of his deputies implicit fiscal irregularities.

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The State’s Attorney’s Office announced charges against the erstwhile New Haven constabulary main successful transportation with alleged money misuse. (New Haven Police Department)

The State’s Attorney’s Office said the probe revealed that $81,500 was unaccounted for oregon misappropriated from the New Haven Police Department Narcotic Enforcement Program Fund betwixt Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2026. 

Bank records amusement that section checks were deposited into Jacobson's idiosyncratic checking account, prosecutors said.

Investigators said they besides recovered 2 checks totaling $4,000 were allegedly embezzled from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund successful December 2025.

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Jacobson was a subordinate of the section for 15 years earlier serving a three-year stint arsenic constabulary chief.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Jacobson's lawyer for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.