American Man Connected to Australian Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors

A US man associated with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla attack that took the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.

Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.

The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole offense of illegally owning guns and bullets in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the court this month.

Connections to Aussie Gunmen

Investigators confirmed clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.

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.

The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a extended standoff at the rural site.

US prosecutors said the accused communicated via social media with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.

Day described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla in person.

Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times recording on YouTube after the incident, saying police “came to kill us and we killed them”.

“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.

Weapons Stockpile and Court Case

Court documents show the defendant stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun 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 said in the plea deal filed in court.

He said he regularly accessed both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also trained others on how to use the guns correctly.

The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the accused making of threats to officials and FBI agents.

Based on legal files, the individual 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 in jail or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.