American Man Connected to Aussie Shooters Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla attack that claimed the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr will appear in court on October 21 after finalizing the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to plead guilty to a single charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Authorities confirmed direct links between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
US prosecutors stated Day communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an end-times video on YouTube after the shootings, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains said.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents reveal the defendant accumulated a cache of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun range, gun room and sniper’s nest.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” Day said in the plea deal submitted in court.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained others on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The bargain will result in dismissed counts that pertain to the accused issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has served 24 months in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.
