US Man Connected to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
An American citizen linked with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla attack that claimed the lives of six individuals – among them two officers from Queensland – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to 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 sanctioned by the court in the current month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed direct links between Day and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
American officials said Day corresponded via social media with the Trains during the period of the deadly ambush.
Day described Queensland officers as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at the scene physically.
Legal filings outlined how the couple had posted an apocalyptic recording on YouTube 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’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Court documents show Day stockpiled a collection of multiple powerful guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a shooting range, weapons 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’,” Day said in the plea deal filed in court.
Day stated he frequently used both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also trained others on how to operate the guns properly.
The bargain will lead to charges dropped that relate to the accused making of threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has served two years in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
