American Individual Connected to Australian Shooters Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla attack that claimed the lives of six individuals – among them two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a watered-down plea deal.
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 expected to admit guilt to a single offense of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Authorities confirmed direct links between Day and the Train couple through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered officers from Queensland Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials stated the accused corresponded via online platforms with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.
Day described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Legal filings detailed how the couple had uploaded an end-times video on the video platform after the incident, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents show Day stockpiled a collection of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds 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’,” he admitted in the agreement submitted in court.
He stated he frequently used both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also instructed others on how to use the firearms properly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that pertain to the alleged making of threats to officials and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed two years in detention, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment in prison or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be sentenced under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
