US Individual Connected to Aussie Shooters Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after finalizing the bargain with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole charge of illegally owning guns and bullets in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the judiciary this month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established direct links between Day and the Train couple through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, killed officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a final shootout with police, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
American officials said the accused communicated via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time 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 wanted to be at the scene in person.
Court documents outlined how the couple had posted an end-times video on YouTube after the incident, stating 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,” they said.
Firearms Cache and Legal Proceedings
Legal records reveal the defendant stockpiled a collection of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a shooting 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 said in the agreement submitted in court.
He said he regularly accessed both the gun room and the firearms, and also trained individuals on how to use the guns correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that relate to the alleged making of threats to public figures and federal agents.
Based on court documents, the individual had been prohibited from owning weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed 24 months in custody, could receive a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.