US Individual Connected to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia attack that took six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, 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 this month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
American officials stated Day communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Court documents outlined how the couple had uploaded an end-times video on YouTube after the shootings, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“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 show the defendant stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun 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 court.
Day stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also trained individuals on how to use the guns correctly.
The bargain will result in charges dropped that pertain to the alleged making of threats to public figures and FBI agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been prohibited from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has served 24 months in custody, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years in prison or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.
