Bar Owners Ordered To Appear Before Liquor Commissioner

Sandra Bury, in her most powerful mayoral role as Oak Lawn’s sole liquor commissioner, is holding a rare public hearing on Monday morning to decide the fates of two tavern owners that allegedly violated the terms of their liquor licenses.

John Cerniuk, owner of George’s Lounge, and Robert Olson, the owner of TC’s Pub, are both expected to appear before Bury, in which they were cited in two separate incidents.

As liquor commissioner, the mayor will decided whether to revoke or suspend the establishments’ liquor licenses, or fine the owners.

George’s Lounge at 5407 W. 95th St. was shuttered on Nov. 8, when police said the establishment was found to have no record of a state liquor license. The discovery was made following the arrests of four underage adults charged with illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor.

The underage partiers were arrested during an ID check by police, who were acting on a tip that underage drinking was occurring at the tavern. A state liquor license on the wall indicated it had expired on Jan. 31, 2013 and police said there was no record of its renewal with the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. .

George’s Lounge was closed for the same reason in March 2012 when the tavern was found to have an expired state liquor license, police said.

Robert Olson, owner of TC’s Pub at 9700 S. Cicero Ave., is also scheduled for a public hearing, who is listed as the sole owner of TC's and Town and Country Liquors, according to state records.

During a premises check on Dec. 13, another man also identified in reports as an owner of TC’s, Daniel J. Brueck, 36, of Oak Lawn, was charged on three felony counts for possession of a controlled substance. He was also charged with a misdemeanor violation of the village liquor code.

According to a police report, officers looked through a window and observed a woman drinking a beer inside of TC’s Pub at 3:38 a.m. Dec. 13. The bar is only allowed to operate until 2 a.m.

Police said that loud music and conversations could be heard from outside. Based on the tavern’s past history of alleged after-hours violations, officers knocked on the door and searched the premises.

The woman, an employee of TC’s, allegedly admitted to drinking a beer at the bar. Officers found four other people inside the tavern, including Brueck and two bar employees, a bar patron and cleaning crew member.

Police said that the bar patron was the father of the employee drinking at the bar and was “highly intoxicated and being uncooperative.”

When officers entered the rear office, they observed a clear plastic baggy lying in plain view on the desk, containing a white powdery substance that later field-tested positive as cocaine. White residue was also discovered on the desk, police said.

Cops spoke to another bartender, whom they said was the last person in the office where the cocaine was found. She was mirandized and stated that the suspect coke was not her’s and didn’t know who it belonged to.

Police said the bartender also confirmed that Brueck was an owner of the tavern, and identified the woman drinking the beer at the bar.

Brueck, the stated owner, was also brought into the office and mirandized. He said the cocaine was not his and he didn’t know who it belonged to, reports said. He was taken into custody and cited for violating conditions of the liquor license.

The cleaning crew, too, identified Brueck as the tavern's owner and was authorized to lock up the bar. 

Police gave a ride home to the woman and her father. Due to the fact that she had been drinking, police said she cooperated by taking a Breathalyzer test, in which she blew .194.

Except for Brueck, all others found on the premises were released without being charged. Police said that no one could produce that state and Oak Lawn liquor licenses at the time of the incident.

Police found four loose pills identified as hydrocodone, a narcotic pain reliever, in Brueck’s shirt pocket, reports said.

Brueck appeared in bond court on Dec. 13.

The village liquor commission public hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, at Oak Lawn Village Hall, 9446 S. Raymond Ave.