American Individual Linked to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man associated with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that claimed the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will appear in court on 21 October after finalizing the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the court in the current month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Authorities confirmed clear connections between Day and the Train couple through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials said Day communicated via social media with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
He described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the incident, stating 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.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records show Day stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped 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 admitted in the plea deal submitted in the legal system.
He stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also instructed individuals on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will lead to charges dropped that relate to the accused issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed 24 months in detention, could receive a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
