DUI Arrest In Plainfield For Will County Sheriff's Deputy

JOLIET, IL — Ross Ricobene, a 36-year-old Will County Sheriff's investigator, was arrested nearly two weeks ago by the Plainfield Police Department on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, Joliet Patch has confirmed.

Ricobene's overnight arrest happened while he was off-duty, at the Speedway gas station parking lot along Route 30 and Renwick Road, court documents show.

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, from Plainfield Police Officer Ryley Martin, indicates that Ricobene was involved in an accident at the parking lot for Speedway.

The road conditions were dry, and it was a clear night, the court records show.

Ricobene was not booked into the Will County Jail. Instead, he was released on a $3,000 bond and his next court appearance is set for June 23. Ricobene's hearing at the Will County Courthouse will be in Courtroom 304.

Joliet Patch learned that Ricobene's DUI charge was not included in the recent arrest reports released by Plainfield police, which typically do include DUI charges.

Patch reached out to a Plainfield Police Department spokesperson seeking details surrounding Ricobene's arrest, and the spokesperson did not immediately respond.

Joliet Patch later contacted Plainfield's police chief since 2011, John Konopek, on Thursday afternoon. Konopek said he was not in the office and was unfamiliar with the case, but would look into the matter on Friday.

On Thursday, Joliet Patch contacted Will County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer, inquiring about Ricobene's employment status with Will County.

"Deputy Ross Ricobene remains employed at the Sheriff’s Office," Hoffmeyer wrote back in an email. "We were advised of the charges against him on May 13 by Plainfield Police, while he was off-duty, and he was placed on desk duty.

"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," she added.