Felon accused of bringing gun into Clintonville bar

Jeremiah J. Ogurek, 43, Bear Creek, is charged with felon possessing a firearm, obstructing an officer, carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a handgun where alcohol is sold.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Nov. 5, 2021, Clintonville Police Officer Cody Rollin was dispatched to Racks and Rails to speak with the bartender.

She reported that a customer found a handgun in the men’s restroom.

According to the criminal complaint, it was a 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine and a round in the chamber.

Rollin spoke with the man who found the gun. He said he noticed it tucked between the wall and a roll of toilet paper. When he picked up the gun, he realized it was not fake but real, so he gave it to the bartender.

On Nov. 6, Officer Joe Lebreck reviewed video from a camera outside the restroom and pointed toward the front door.

He saw a man enter the restroom just before the gun was found. Staff at the bar did not know the man, but believed his nickname was JJ.

On Nov. 11, Sgt. Christopher Wendorf spoke to the bar’s owner, who informed him that the suspect’s name was Jay Ogurek.

A records check indicated that Jeremiah Ogurek has a felony prison record.

The video reportedly shows one of the bar’s employees telling Ogurek, his girlfriend and other patrons that a gun had been found in the restroom.

Ogurek is then seen on the video patting his pockets, rushing toward the office, seeing the bartender on the phone, then leaving the bar, the complaint says.

On Dec. 12, 2021, Officer Andrew Kizewski interviewed Ogurek.

Ogurek reportedly told Kizewski that he had seen the gun while he was in the restroom. He thought it was fake until he picked it up.

Kizewski explained to Ogurek that if he had just picked up the gun then set it back down, his fingerprints and DNA should not be on the ammo and the gun’s magazine.

Rollin later sent the 9mm bullets and magazine to the state crime lab, as well as buccal swabs with samples of Ogurek’s DNA.

On April 14, the lab reported that Ogurek’s DNA was on the ammo and the magazine.

Ogurek’s prison record

On Feb. 5, 2014, Outagamie County sentenced Ogurek to 1 year and eight months in prison and three years of extended supervision for charges of obstructing an officer and a sixth OWI.

On March 11, 2014, Waupaca County sentenced Ogurek to four years in prison and four years of extended supervision.

He was convicted of felon possessing a firearm, felony bail jumping and a seventh OWI.

Ogurek was released from prison on Aug. 12, 2020. He was returned on March 17, 2022, after his extended supervision was revoked.