Sedalia man pleads guilty to possessing stolen gun

Timothy Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Sedalia man pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegally possessing a gun.

Justin Denny, 27, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a gun. Denny admitted that he was in possession of a semi-automatic pistol on Nov. 21, 2017.

In November, Sedalia police were trying to conduct a traffic stop with Denny, but he accelerated from the patrol vehicle. Officers pursued Denny for about two blocks before he pulled over.

During the pursuit, officers saw Denny moving something with his hands in the middle of the seat. When officers approached his truck, Denny was nervous and was visibly shaking.

Police said it looked like Denny was trying to hide something under a bag next to him. Denny later admitted there was a gun in the seat. Officers searched the truck and found a stolen pistol and methamphetamine.

Garrison said Denny has three prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and two prior felony convictions for driving with a revoked/suspended license.

Denny faces up to ten years in federal prison without parole. According to public jail records, Denny is currently in the Cole County Jail.