Above / A two-year investigation leads to the arrest of a former Naperville resident, now residing in Downers Grove, for insurance fraud after allegedly filing a false police report. (PN file photos are used to help flag stories related to Naperville Police and Fire Department responses to investigations and emergency calls, always reminding readers that keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility. Thanks always for calling 911 whenever necessary to report something that seems suspicious. Be alert by day and by night. Be a Naperville Crime Stopper. Stay safe.)
A lengthy Naperville Police investigation into a report of tools stolen from a vehicle outside a Naperville address in March 2022 ended last month with the arrest of the man who initially filed the theft report.
Robert J. Sladek, 45, of the 7300 block of Baybury Road in Downers Grove, is charged with two counts of felony theft, two counts of insurance fraud, one count of forgery, and one count of filing a false police report.
Sladek, who lived in Naperville at the time, filed an online theft report with Naperville Police in March 2022, claiming hand tools had been stolen from his vehicle. As police began investigating the theft, detectives learned that Sladek had allegedly submitted and received payouts on insurance claims regarding stolen tools in 2021 and 2022, each exceeding $10,000. Further investigation allegedly revealed that Sladek had never purchased or owned the tools he had claimed were stolen.
Sladek is charged with theft and insurance fraud in each of the alleged fraudulent insurance claims. Additionally, charges of forgery and filing a false police report were approved for allegedly filing a false report and providing a false document to police with the intent of defrauding his insurance agency.
Sladek turned himself into police on March 19, 2024.
“Investigations sometimes lead us in directions we didn’t anticipate. This case is a perfect example of how important it is to have thorough detectives who are willing to dedicate time and energy to a case, leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth,” said Police Chief Jason Arres. “Our detectives are second to none, and I am truly grateful for their diligence to their work and desire to hold people accountable for their actions.”
The Naperville Police wish to remind the public and the news media that a charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
