American Man Connected to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia shooting that took the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a watered-down plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after striking the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to plead guilty to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be sanctioned by the court in the current month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities confirmed direct links between Day and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with police, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
US prosecutors said the accused communicated via social media with the perpetrators during the period of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the shootings, saying authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents show the defendant stockpiled a collection of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a gun range, gun room and sniper hide.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” he said in the plea deal filed in court.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to use the guns correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that relate to the alleged making of threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed two years in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
