Charged with stealing thousands in cash from the city of New Haven to cover a multi-million dollar gambling addiction, former police chief Karl Jacobson pleaded “no contest” to a state larceny charge on Friday.
As chief in New Haven starting in 2022, Jacobson got hooked on the popular online casinos DraftKings and FanDuel. An arrest warrant says he wagered almost $4.5 million over the course of one year.
To feed his addiction, police say he stole $178 thousand from the city, much of intended for confidential police informants.
Last winter, three assistant police chiefs confronted Jacobson about the missing funds. The chief admitted his gambling problem and retired, effective immediately.
Jacobson later turned himself in to state police, charged with two counts of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community.
In a plea deal with prosecutors, Jacobson pleaded “no contest” to one of those charges. He faces up to four years in prison at sentencing in January.
Earlier in January, Jacobson will face a restitution hearing that will determine how much of the stolen $178 thousand he must repay.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker issued this statement:
No one is above the law and that includes the chief of police. The theft and misuse of taxpayer funds was not only a crime, but also a breach of public trust and former Chief Jacobson is rightly being held accountable for his actions.
Since this incident, new policies and protocols have been put in place to ensure funds allocated for the police department’s Confidential Informant program are properly safeguarded and used to investigate and solve crimes, identify criminals and bring them to justice.
I want to thank the Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin, New Britain State’s Attorney Christian Watson, DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins and the Connecticut State Police for their investigation into this matter and working to ensure that former Chief Jacobson is held accountable.
I also want to commend our Police Chief David Zannelli, Assistant Chief Bertram Ettienne and Assistant Chief Manmeet Bhagtana who demonstrated the integrity and professionalism that we expect from our leaders and officers by reporting the former chief’s actions, and who have also stepped up to lead the police department, as we continue to make significant progress in reducing crime and keeping our residents safe.
