US Man Linked to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
An American citizen associated with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a watered-down plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a single offense of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be approved by the judiciary in the current month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
US prosecutors stated the accused communicated via social media with the perpetrators during the period of the fatal attack.
He referred to Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he desired to be at Wieambilla in person.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the incident, 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,” they said.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Legal records show Day accumulated a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a shooting range, weapons 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 plea deal submitted in the legal system.
Day said he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate 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 legal files, the individual had been prohibited from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has served 24 months in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in prison or a penalty of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
