US Man Connected to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla attack that claimed six lives – among them two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on October 21 after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole offense of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Investigators confirmed clear connections between Day and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor 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 rural site.
US prosecutors said Day corresponded 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 Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the incident, stating authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Legal Proceedings
Legal records show Day accumulated a cache of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper’s nest.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” Day admitted in the agreement filed in the legal system.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained others on how to use the firearms properly.
The bargain will lead to charges dropped that pertain to the alleged issuing threats to public figures and FBI agents.
According to court documents, the individual had been banned from owning weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has served 24 months in custody, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
