A Wellington man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at an Independence motel.

A press release says 54-year-old Randy K. McGaugh pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty, McGaugh admitted that he was in possession of a Canik TP9 9mm semiautomatic handgun on August 25, 2020. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McGaugh has several prior felony convictions, including resisting arrest, tampering with a motor vehicle and domestic assault, burglary and possession of a controlled substance.

According to court documents, the investigation began on August 8 when Independence police officers responded to a shooting at Truman Inn. McGaugh had been involved in a shootout with another person. McGaugh had fired nine shots through the door of the other person’s motel room, and the other person had fired three shots through the door at McGaugh. McGaugh was no longer at the scene of the shooting when officers arrived.

A confidential source provided information to law enforcement to locate McGaugh. On August 25, police officers moved to apprehend McGaugh as he was getting out of a vehicle at an Independence residence. He ran towards a wooded area behind the house with officers in pursuit. After he ran into the wooded area, officers utilized a police service dog, which found McGaugh on the ledge of a creek bed under heavy, thick brush. Directly below the ledge where McGaugh was found, officers found the 9mm handgun loaded with 18 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Under federal statutes, McGaugh is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.