Democrat Police Chief Busted Stealing From ‘Toys for Kids’ Fund for His Gambling Habit [WATCH]

Former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson has been arrested after authorities concluded an investigation into missing money from department-controlled funds, including a confidential informant account and a youth program account.

Jacobson turned himself in to state police in Montville this morning, according to the New Haven mayor’s office.

The investigation began after concerns were raised late last year regarding the status of the New Haven Police Department’s confidential informant fund. Acting Chief David Zannelli received reports from Sergeant Sanchez in late December that Jacobson had not provided money to pay informants for November and December 2025, an unusual development.

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On January 5, 2026, three assistant chiefs confronted Jacobson about the missing funds. Zannelli secretly recorded the conversation on his department cell phone.

During the recorded meeting, Jacobson admitted to spending too much money on gambling and said he was seeking help. When asked how long the theft had been going on, Jacobson said “not long, just the month.”

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Jacobson told the assistant chiefs he had taken $10,000 between the last two months and pleaded with them to let him replace the money and retire.

“I have spent too much money on gambling, yes,” Jacobson said in the recording, according to court documents.

When asked if there was any money left in the fund, Jacobson responded “No.”

While Jacobson initially admitted to stealing $10,000, a subsequent investigation found that $81,500 was unaccounted for or misappropriated from New Haven’s confidential informant fund.

According to court documents, Jacobson stole $81,500 from the Narcotic Enforcement Program fund between January 2024 and January 2026, and an additional $4,000 from the Police Activity League fund in December 2025.

Bank records showed Jacobson deposited two $5,000 checks from the Narcotic Enforcement Program into his personal account on December 1 and December 18, 2025.

Investigators also determined that Jacobson stole two checks from the Police Activity League account totaling $4,000.

The checks were written to “Karl Jacobson” on December 23, 2025, with memos reading “Toy Give Away” and “Toy Drive.”

Administrative assistant Tina Tremaglio told investigators she found it strange that Jacobson asked for checks for a toy drive so close to Christmas and wanted them written out to him.

An FBI forensic accountant determined that in 2025, Jacobson cashed 14 checks totaling $70,000 from the Narcotic Enforcement Program.

Of that amount, only $23,000 was accounted for in expenditure reports, leaving $47,000 unaccounted for.

Records from gambling platforms showed that between January 1, 2025, and January 5, 2026, Jacobson wagered $4.46 million on DraftKings and FanDuel, losing a total of $214,365.

During the same period, Jacobson made 1,366 transfers from his personal checking account to gambling applications, totaling $373,855.

His annual salary as police chief was approximately $180,000.

The Police Activity League account is funded by donations from businesses, city residents, state grants, fundraisers, and automatic deductions from police officers’ paychecks.

The money supports children’s programs, including summer camps and basketball clinics.

Jacobson retired abruptly after the January 5 confrontation and before he could be placed on administrative leave.

He later returned the $4,000 stolen from the Police Activity League by making a cash deposit on January 16, 2026.

The investigation found no indication that other New Haven Police Department personnel assisted in the embezzlement.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker addressed the case in a statement.

“It’s a sad day for the City of New Haven. Former Police Chief Jacobson was someone whom many in our city deeply respected and who dedicated his life to helping keep our community safe,” Elicker said.

“However, 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 for which former Chief Jacobson must be held accountable,” he added.

“With the new policies and protocols that we have now put in place, our residents and officers can be confident that funds allocated for the police department’s Confidential Informant program will be properly safeguarded and properly used to investigate and solve crimes and to identify criminals and bring them to justice,” Elicker said.

“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 for his actions,” he added.

Community members also reacted to the allegations.

“It’s also almost hurtful that there was $4,000 stolen that was intended for kids. That shows a lot more judgement. It’s shocking,” Elicker said earlier regarding the youth fund.

Bob Catalanello said, “I was appalled. One might even say flabbergasted. It’s like you’re supposed to protect us, and you’re doing all this stuff.”

“I grew up around gamblers. I know so many, and I see the destruction it does to a person’s life, to their funds, to their family’s funds. It’s saddening,” Catalanello added.

Shrinath Iyer said, “I think we as a city need to come together and find a new solution, pave a new path forward, have better leadership because leadership forms the basis of what we do.”

Paul Tarbox, director of public policy and communications for the CT Council on Problem Gambling, addressed the broader issue.

“The problem is people are sometimes reluctant to seek help or they want to find a way to fix it themselves, even though the odds of that happening are not high, and sometimes that leads to really good people making decisions that get them in legal jeopardy of trying to recover from a gambling addiction as opposed to seeking help,” Tarbox said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, call the CT Problem Gambling Helpline at 888-789-7777.

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