US Man Connected to Australian Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
An American citizen associated with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia attack that claimed the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole charge of illegally owning guns and bullets in a arrangement to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, killed Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors said the accused communicated via social media with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day described Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an end-times 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 will meet you at home, Don. With love,” they expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Court documents show the defendant stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a gun range, weapons 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',” Day said in the plea deal filed in court.
He said he frequently used both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained others on how to use the guns correctly.
The plea deal will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the accused issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has served two years in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.