American Man Connected to Australian Shooters Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man associated with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia attack that took the lives of six individuals – among them two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a watered-down plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after striking the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to plead guilty to a single charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities established clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors stated the accused communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.
He referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an end-times recording on YouTube after the incident, saying police “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains said.
Weapons Stockpile and Legal Proceedings
Legal records reveal the defendant accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns 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 guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” Day said in the agreement filed in the legal system.
Day stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also trained individuals on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that relate to the accused issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
According to court documents, Day had been banned from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed two years in custody, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment 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.
