Former Husband Of Murdered Woman Accused Of Stealing From Children

Madison Police have arrested Jeffrey Hamburg, the ex-husband of Barbara Hamburg, who was found murdered in March 2010. Jeffrey Hamburg was arrested Wednesday and charged with first degree larceny. Police say he is accused of stealing from a custodial account intended to pay for his children's college education.

Jeffrey Hamburg's attorney, Hugh Keefe, told WTNH-News 8 in March 2010 that Hamburg is considered a suspect in his wife's murder.  No charges have been filed in the murder case.

Madison Police said Wednesday that the charges in connection with the arrest Wednesday are not related to the murder investigation. Hamburg's last known address, police said, was West Hartford.

Hamburg was released on a $50,000.00 Cash Bond, police said. He is scheduled to appear in GA 23 in New Haven on Oct. 4. Barbara Hamburg was found stabbed and beaten outside her rented home on Middle Beach West March 3, 2010. There was a court hearing scheduled for later that day on matters relating to her divorce, and Jeffrey Hamburg's inability to pay child support.

The arrest warrant supporting the charges related to the arrest Wednesday says that Madison Police received a complaint about the alleged theft March 24, 2011 from one of the children of Jeffrey Hamburg. Jeffrey Hamburg was listed as the custodian on the account.

Hamburg's daughter, also named Barbara but called Ali, is quoted in the arrest warrant as saying that "her mother had learned of the larceny during civil proceedings in family court about one and a half years ago."

Ali Hamburg told police that "she had never taken any funds from the account and that her father was the only person who had access to that account. Barbara [Ali] Hamburg did wish to pursue criminal proceedings against her father, who was not authorized to take funds for his personal use," the warrant says.

The warrant says large withdrawals from the account began in February 2006, "with the balance of the account ... $106,207.92."

"The balance was depleted to ... $992.25 by Oct. 1, 2006. The statements listed large withdrawals," the warrant says.

In April 2011, a search and seizure warrant was executed for records relating to the account. Eighteen canceled checks were seized "utilized to facilitate withdrawal of funds from [redacted]. The checks ... corresponded to the multiple withdrawals in 2006, which had depleted the funds ... The payee on the checks is listed as Jeffrey R. Hamburg ACF and Barbara A. Hamburg U/GA/UTMA. The checks were endorsed with a signature, representing Jeffrey Hamburg's signature," the warrant says.

The first two withdrawal checks listed the address of 14 Stanton Court, Madison, CT, where Jeffrey Hamburg used to live with his wife Barbara and their family, prior to and after the divorce. "The remainder of the checks issued from March 10, 2006 to Sept. 26th, 2006 listed" a post office box as the address, the warrant says.

The warrant says that the Hamburg's divorce decree, dated Sept. 5, 2002, says that the custodial accounts "shall be used only for educational expenses of the children." It also specifies that the custodial accounts not be used to fulfill child support obligations.

The warrant says that bank statements for Jeffrey Hamburg "indicated that [he] had a high standard of living and utilized his children's custodial accounts to meet his financial needs. Jeffrey Hamburg needed the funds from the children's ... accounts to balance his expenses ... "

The warrant also says that Jeffrey Hamburg, "during a June 4, 2009 Connecticut Superior Court civil proceeding, provided sworn testimony that he had used his children's custodial accounts for personal use."

The story was originally posted Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. The story was updated with additional information on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011.