American Man Linked to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia shooting that claimed the lives of six individuals – among them two officers from Queensland – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after striking the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a arrangement to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Authorities confirmed direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel 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 said Day communicated via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland officers as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling the Trains he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Court documents outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the incident, saying police “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records reveal Day accumulated a collection of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper’s nest.
“The firearms and ammunition were kept in the mobile home I shared with S.S., in a room we called the ‘gun room’,” Day admitted in the agreement submitted in the legal system.
Day 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 lead to charges dropped that pertain to the accused issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
According to court documents, Day had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in detention, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
