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Goshen Man Pleads Guilty To Standoff, Bomb Possession

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If the judge accepts the plea agreement of the Goshen man who held police at bay for 21 minutes while armed with a rifle on April 16, he will serve no more than four years in prison.

Randal Lee Pryor, 27, of Goshen, recently pleaded guilty in Kosciusko Circuit Court to possession of a bomb, a Class C felony; resisting law enforcement, a Class D felony; and driving while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor. The plea agreement calls for two Class C felony charges of criminal recklessness pending against Pryor to be dismissed.

Pryor was taken into custody at the scene of the incident on Fox Farm Road, where he wouldn't let officers approach him, and pointed a rifle at police on several occasions. Police later learned the weapon was not loaded, but located two other rifles - one of which had a bayonet attached, several rounds of ammunition and a bomb in Pryor's truck at the scene.

The incident began April 16 when Pryor allegedly was asked to leave the Time Out Inn on Old Road 30W, Warsaw.

Employees of the business told police that Pryor became loud and uncooperative after being there about three hours and he was asked to leave.

Once outside the bar, Pryor lifted his shirt to show a knife in a leather sheath. Employees then called police and Pryor left the scene in his pickup.

Officers throughout the county were alerted to watch for Pryor and he was located about 3:30 p.m. in a ditch on Fox Farm Road, south of CR 200N.

Pryor reportedly told police he was distraught about his wife leaving him.

The proposed plea agreement would give Pryor up to four years in prison for the bomb charge, along with a $1 fine; a sentence not to exceed 18 months for the resisting charge, plus a $1 fine; and, for the drunk driving offense, Pryor would receive a 60-day sentence, of which 54 days would be suspended for probation. He also would be fined $24.50 for that charge, plus pay a $200 alcohol abuse fee, make civil restitution for property damage and have his license suspended for one year. All the prison terms would be served concurrently.

Judge Rex Reed is scheduled to sentence Pryor in this matter at 8:15 a.m. Oct. 7.