NEW HAVEN, CT — Former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson pleaded no contest Friday to one count of first-degree larceny in New Haven Superior Court. The state says he took $178,000 in city funds meant for the police Confidential Informant Fund, according to the New Haven Independent. Jacobson's plea leaves restitution and sentencing still pending.
Mayor Justin Elicker spoke to reporters at City Hall Friday afternoon. "No one is above the law and that includes the chief of police," Elicker said in a press release announcing the plea.
How the Case Unfolded and What the Plea Means
The New Haven Independent reported that Jacobson, an assistant chief before he became chief in 2022, was arrested in February on two counts alleging first-degree larceny through defrauding a public community. A defendant entering a no contest plea neither admits nor denies responsibility for the charges, but gives up a trial and accepts the penalty.
In January, three assistant chiefs raised the missing money with Jacobson. A state police affidavit says he told them he had a problem, first citing alcohol and then gambling. When confronted, Jacobson admitted taking $10,000 for personal use. WFSB reported that more than $80,000 was missing from the fund. The affidavit says he had net losses of at least $214,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel sports-betting apps in his final year as chief.
The dollar figure has grown since the arrest. The first affidavit cited $81,500 from the informant fund and $4,000 from the Police Activity League. Elicker said Friday that the state's attorney now puts the total at $178,000 taken since 2019. Jacobson said in court that he plans to dispute the $178,000 figure.