US Individual Connected to Aussie Shooters Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
An American citizen linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will appear in court on October 21 after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a single charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the court in the current month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established clear connections between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with police, following a extended standoff at the rural site.
American officials said the accused communicated via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day described Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an apocalyptic recording on the video platform 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.
Firearms Cache and Legal Proceedings
Legal records reveal the defendant accumulated a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a shooting range, gun 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’,” he said in the plea deal submitted in the legal system.
Day said he frequently used both the gun room and the firearms, and also trained others on how to operate the guns correctly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the alleged issuing threats to public figures and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has served 24 months in custody, could receive a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
