US Man Linked to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
A US man associated with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia attack that took the lives of six individuals – including two officers from Queensland – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after striking the plea deal with American authorities.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole charge of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities established direct links between Day and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were killed in a gun battle with police, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
American officials stated the accused communicated via online platforms with the perpetrators during the period of the fatal attack.
Day described Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla in person.
Court documents outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times video on YouTube after the incident, saying authorities “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 said.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records reveal the defendant accumulated a cache of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper hide.
“The firearms and ammunition were kept in the mobile home I shared with S.S., in a room we called the ‘gun room’,” he admitted in the agreement submitted in court.
He stated he frequently used both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained others on how to use the guns properly.
The bargain will result in charges dropped that pertain to the alleged issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been prohibited from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed two years 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 agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
