US Individual Linked to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Authorities established direct links between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with law enforcement, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
US prosecutors said Day communicated via social media with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day described Queensland officers as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an end-times video on YouTube 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’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents show Day accumulated a cache of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, AZ, 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’,” Day said in the plea deal filed in court.
Day stated he frequently used both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also instructed individuals on how to use the firearms properly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the alleged issuing threats to public figures and federal agents.
According to legal files, Day had been banned from owning weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed two years in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be judged under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
