American Man Connected to Australian Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
An American citizen linked with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla attack that took six lives – among them two officers from Queensland – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr will appear in court on October 21 after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole offense of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors said Day communicated via online platforms with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.
Day described Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling them he desired to be at the scene physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the incident, saying police “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 Legal Proceedings
Court documents reveal the defendant stockpiled a collection of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun range, gun 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 the legal system.
He stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained others on how to use the firearms properly.
The bargain will result in charges dropped that pertain to the accused making of threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been prohibited from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed 24 months in custody, could receive 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 sentenced under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
