This Police Chief Gambled Away $4.5 Million in Stolen Cash
He was the police chief of Connecticut's second-largest city. He wagered $4.5 million on FanDuel and DraftKings — using money stolen from a fund meant to pay confidential informants and a youth sports program that bought Christmas toys for kids. Karl Jacobson served 25 years in law enforcement before becoming New Haven's police chief in 2022. Behind closed doors, he drained the department's confidential informant fund and a Police Activity League account to feed a secret gambling addiction. 1,366 transfers in a single year. No audits. No oversight. When three of his own assistant chiefs confronted him — one secretly recording — he admitted everything on tape and begged to keep his pension. He still collects $124,000 a year.
