US Man Linked to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
An American citizen linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole charge of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be approved by the court this month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Investigators established direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
American officials said Day communicated via social media with the Trains around the time of the fatal attack.
Day referred to Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how the couple had uploaded an end-times video on the video platform after the incident, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains said.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Legal records reveal Day accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate 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',” he said in the plea deal submitted in court.
He said he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also instructed others on how to operate the guns properly.
The plea deal will result in dismissed counts that relate to the accused issuing threats to public figures and FBI agents.
According to legal files, Day had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has completed 24 months in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be judged under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
