US Individual Connected to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the culprits behind the fatal 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 appear in court on October 21 after striking the plea deal with American authorities.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single offense of illegally owning guns and bullets in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Investigators established clear connections between the defendant and the Train couple through online posts.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were killed in a gun battle with police, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
US prosecutors stated the accused communicated via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic video on the video platform after the incident, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“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 stockpiled a cache of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a shooting 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 said in the plea deal filed in court.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained others on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The bargain will result in dismissed counts that pertain to the accused making of threats to officials and FBI agents.
According to legal files, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has served two years in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.
