Man charged with insurance fraud over tool theft report

A man who filed a Naperville police report alleging hand tools had been stolen out of his vehicle has been charged with felony theft, insurance fraud, forgery and filing a false police report.

Robert J. Sladek, 45, of the 7300 block of Baybury Road in Downers Grove, was indicted on March 14. He turned himself in on March 19, according to a news release from Naperville police. He is free pretrial.

Police say that in March 2022, Sladek, who lived in Naperville at the time, filed an online police report saying tools had been stolen.

As police investigated the theft, detectives learned Sladek submitted and received payouts on insurance claims for stolen tools in 2021 and 2022, according to the release. Each claim exceeded $10,000, according to police.

Police say Sladek had never bought or owned the tools he claimed were stolen. The forgery charge alleges he gave them a false receipt.

“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,” Police Chief Jason Arres said in the release.