American Individual Linked to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia shooting that claimed the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will face court on 21 October after finalizing the bargain with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to plead guilty to a single offense of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be approved by the court in the current month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Investigators confirmed clear connections between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors said the accused corresponded via online platforms with the perpetrators during the period of the fatal attack.
Day described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he wanted to be at Wieambilla in person.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on the video platform after the incident, stating police “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 Court Case
Court documents reveal the defendant stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun range, weapons 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’,” Day admitted in the agreement submitted in court.
Day said he regularly accessed both the gun room and the weapons, and also instructed individuals on how to use the guns properly.
The bargain will lead to charges dropped that relate to the alleged making of threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms 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 prison or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be sentenced under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
