American Man Linked to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
An American citizen associated with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla attack that took the lives of six individuals – including two officers from Queensland – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single charge of illegally owning guns and bullets in a deal to be sanctioned by the court in the current month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities confirmed direct links between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, killed officers from Queensland Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials said Day corresponded via online platforms with the perpetrators during the period of the fatal attack.
He described Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he desired to be at the scene in person.
Court documents outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on the video platform after the shootings, saying police “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains said.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Court documents show Day stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a country estate in Heber, AZ, that was equipped with a gun 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 plea deal filed in court.
He said he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also instructed others on how to use the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that pertain to the accused making of threats to officials and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
