Downers Grove Man Charged With Insurance Fraud In Naperville Incidents

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A Downers Grove man faces multiple felony charges after police say he filed false insurance claims alleging that more than $10,000 worth of tools he never owned had been stolen from his vehicle.

Robert J. Sladek, 45, of the 7300 block of Bayberry Road, was charged with insurance fraud, theft, forgery and filing a false police report in connection with the 2021 and 2022 incidents.

According to police, Sladek reported that tools had been stolen from a vehicle he owned in March 2022 while he was living in Naperville. Investigators say they learned Sladek had previously been paid more than $10,000 for insurance claims on tools he said were stolen between 2021 and 2022.

“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,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a news release.

He praised the Naperville Police Department's detectives as "second to none," adding, "I am truly grateful for their diligence to their work and desire to hold people accountable for their actions."