American Man Linked to Australian Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
A US man associated with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia shooting that took six lives – among them two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a less severe plea deal.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 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 sole charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the court 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 Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were killed in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors stated Day corresponded via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at the scene in person.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times video on YouTube after the shootings, saying authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents reveal Day accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo 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 said in the agreement submitted in court.
He stated he regularly accessed both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to use the guns correctly.
The bargain will lead to charges dropped that relate to the alleged making of threats to public figures and FBI agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has served 24 months in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
