American Individual Linked to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to plead guilty to a sole charge of illegally owning guns and bullets in a arrangement to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities established clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
This couple, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a gun battle with law enforcement, following a extended standoff at the rural site.
American officials stated the accused communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at the scene in person.
Court documents outlined how the couple had uploaded an end-times video on the video platform after the shootings, saying 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,” the Trains said.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records show the defendant accumulated a collection of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a shooting range, gun room and sniper hide.
“The firearms and ammunition were kept in the mobile home I shared with S.S., in a room we called the ‘gun room’,” Day said in the agreement filed in court.
Day stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also instructed others on how to operate the guns correctly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that pertain to the accused making of threats to public figures and FBI agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed two years in custody, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
