American Man Linked to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took six lives – among them two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a watered-down plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr will appear in court on October 21 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 charge of illegally owning guns and bullets in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the court this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Investigators established direct links between Day and the Train couple through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, killed officers from Queensland Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors said the accused communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland officers as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing the Trains he desired to be at the scene in person.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an end-times recording on YouTube after the incident, 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 reveal Day accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns 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’,” Day admitted in the agreement filed in court.
He stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The bargain will result in dismissed counts that pertain to the alleged issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on legal files, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed two years in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a penalty of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.