2 men accused of breaking into Woodstock bar, stealing alcohol, then passing out at train station

Police allege two men burglarized Ortmann’s Red Iron Tavern in Woodstock prior to being found intoxicated and “passed out” in the Woodstock train depot just after midnight July 1.

Austin Gehrke, 31, of the 4200 block of Parkway Avenue, in McHenry, and Cory Feezel, 42, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, each are charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony, as well as misdemeanor theft not exceeding $500, according to the criminal complaints filed in the McHenry County court.

Gehrke and Feezel are accused of entering the tavern, located at 101 Church St., and “knowing obtained unauthorized control over” a cash register, one bottle of Tullamore Dew whiskey and one bottle of Makers Mark whiskey, having a total value not exceeding $500, according to the criminal complaints.

Feezel, who also lists himself as homeless in Woodstock, was allowed pretrial release with conditions following a detention hearing July 2 before Judge Carl Metz. The judge ordered that Feezel refrain from consuming alcohol, wear a devise issued through pretrial services to monitor alcohol intake and to complete a substance abuse evaluation within 21 days, according to the pretrial release order. He is due in court next on July 30.

Gehrke was not released and instead ordered to be detained for allegedly violating supervision and pretrial release on two prior cases, according to court records. He was placed on supervision in May for a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia while he had been on pretrial release for a charge of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, court records show. He is due back in court Aug. 1.

The men were discovered “passed out ... from suspected intoxication” at the train depot platform by a Woodstock police officer working the midnight shift conducting a building security check, Woodstock Chief of Police John Lieb said.

“They were transported to the ER due to their inability to care for themselves and they were also cited for open alcohol,” Lieb said. “The Officer suspected that the alcohol had been taken from an establishment, but did not have information where they took it from. In the morning, the establishment owner realized that money/alcohol had been taken. [The owner] collaborated with police in determining it was the same subjects that the officer [found] earlier.”

According to the citations issued for ordinance violations of public possession of open alcohol, Feezel had an open bottle of Makers Mark Whiskey nearby when found on the platform sleeping, and when he woke up he said it was his. Gehrke was found sleeping with a bottle of nearly empty Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey nearby, authorities said. The officer was unable to wake him up, according to the citations issued by Woodstock police.

A third man was given a trespass warning, Lieb said.