DUI Arrest: Will Co. Sheriff’s Investigator Crashed Into Parked Car

JOLIET, IL — Off-duty Will County Sheriff's Investigator Ross Ricobene was driving an unmarked Will County Sheriff's vehicle when he crashed into a parked car with people inside it at the Speedway gas station in Plainfield on Route 30 and Renwick Road, according to Plainfield police.

Following the incident, the 36-year-old Ricobene was taken to the Plainfield Police Station and booked into custody on DUI charges. He was later released after posting a $3,000 bond.

Ricobene's next court date is June 23 at the Will County Courthouse in Courtroom 304.

Plainfield Police Chief John Konopek told Joliet Patch on Friday that officers from his agency were called to the Speedway shortly before 1 a.m. on May 13 after learning that a motorist collided with a vehicle in the parking lot. Nobody was injured, the police chief said.

Plainfield officers detected the smell of alcohol on Ricobene, and the sheriff's investigator showed signs of being under the influence of alcohol, Konopek said.

At one point during questioning at the Speedway, Ricobene produced an identification showing that he is a deputy with the Will County Sheriff's Department, the police chief said.

A source told Joliet Patch on Thursday that Ricobene was driving an unmarked Will County Sheriff's vehicle assigned to him.

Konopek confirmed for Patch that the vehicle involved in the property damage crash at the Speedway parking lot belonged to the Will County Sheriff's Office.

A resident of Plainfield, Ricobene was driving a 2015 Ford Taurus at the time of his arrest, which was at 12:51 a.m. The DUI citation was from Plainfield Police Officer Ryley Martin, and the incident involved a property damage accident.

Konopek said that Ricobene refused to undergo any field sobriety tests, and he did not submit to any breathalyzer test that would register a blood-alcohol concentration.

The chief said that Plainfield officers did not file a property damage traffic collision report in connection with Ricobene's arrest because the damage to both vehicles was not major.

On Thursday, Will County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer notified Joliet Patch that in light of his off-duty arrest, Ricobene was placed on desk duty for the sheriff's office.

"The incident is currently being investigated by our Internal Affairs Unit. The sheriff's office will determine how to proceed depending on the outcome of the internal investigation and those of the court proceedings," Hoffmeyer stated.