US Individual Linked to Aussie Gunmen Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took six lives – including two officers from Queensland – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single offense of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed direct links between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials said the accused communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the deadly ambush.
Day described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla in person.
Court documents detailed how the couple had posted an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the shootings, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they expressed.
Firearms Cache and Legal Proceedings
Court documents reveal Day stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a shooting range, weapons 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 filed in court.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the firearms, and also instructed individuals on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that relate to the accused issuing threats to public figures and FBI agents.
According to legal files, Day had been prohibited from owning weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
