Former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson has pleaded no contest to embezzlement charges on Friday.
The charges stem from an investigation that began in January while Jacobson was still police chief.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker at the time said Jacobson admitted to stealing money from a fund used by the New Haven Police Department to pay for an support its confidential informant program.
Several officers flagged irregularities in the account and notified the three assistant chiefs in the department, according to Elicker. It was then that the assistant chiefs confronted Jacobson.
Elicker said after being confronted, Jacobson admitted to taking the funds. The assistant chiefs then notified Chief Administrative Officer Justin McCarthy, who then notified Elicker.
Jacobson was called in for a meeting with Elicker, where he was to be placed on administrative leave. Elicker said that before the meeting, Jacobson handed in his paperwork to retire, effective immediately.
Jacobson’s arrest warrant outlined that much of the misused public funds went to alleged gambling through sports betting apps. The warrant said he had three apps on his phone, two of which, DraftKings and FanDuel, he used in 2025. He alluded to fellow officers that it was the apps he was using to gamble.
The warrant goes on to state that, over about a year, between DraftKings and FanDuel, Jacobson wagered nearly $4.5 million and won about $ 4.2 million. He incurred a loss of over $214,000.
Jacobson also said he was spending too much money on gambling, for which he was seeking help and a loan, according to an arrest warrant. He also said that he intended to replace the misused funds.
“I apologize to the mayor and the city and the officers,” Jacobson said outside of court on Friday. “I love the city. I hope the city moves forward. I hope the officers move forward, and that’s all.”
The warrant stated that Jacobson returned the money he took from the Police Activity League Fund and called the league’s executive director, saying: “he was sorry for letting the police department down, letting him down, and letting PAL down.”
When Acting Chief David Zannelli asked how long Jacobson had been spending too much on gambling, Jacobson said, “It had gotten worse over the past couple of months,” the arrest warrant stated.
He said in part: “…it is not that I’m a bad person. I have a problem. I fixed my alcohol problem. I turned to gambling. I don’t know why it just got worse recently.”
Jacobson will have a restitution hearing on Jan. 14, 2027, to determine how much was actually taken, with the state having to argue what needs to be paid back. The judge will determine the dollar amount.
Jacobson will be sentenced on Jan. 29. 2027 and faces anywhere from one to four years in prison, according to his attorney.
