US Individual Connected to Aussie Gunmen Secures Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
An American citizen associated with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia attack that took six lives – among them two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a watered-down plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will face court on October 21 after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole offense of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the judiciary this month.
Links to Australian Shooters
Investigators confirmed clear connections between Day and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were killed in a final shootout with police, following a extended standoff at the rural site.
American officials said the accused communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.
He referred to Queensland officers as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on the video platform after the shootings, stating authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they expressed.
Firearms Cache and Legal Proceedings
Court documents reveal Day stockpiled a collection of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammo at a rural property in Heber, AZ, that was equipped with a gun range, gun room and sniper’s nest.
“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 plea deal filed in court.
Day stated he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained others on how to operate the guns correctly.
The bargain will result in charges dropped that pertain to the alleged issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
According to court documents, Day had been prohibited from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed two years in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
