US Individual Connected to Aussie Shooters Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
An American citizen linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia attack that claimed 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 face court on October 21 after finalizing the plea deal with American authorities.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is expected to plead guilty to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed direct links between the defendant and the Train couple through online posts.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
American officials said Day communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Court documents outlined how the couple had uploaded an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the shootings, saying authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains said.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Court documents reveal the defendant accumulated a cache of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a gun range, weapons room and sniper’s nest.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” he said in the plea deal submitted in court.
He said he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate the guns correctly.
The bargain will result in dismissed counts that pertain to the accused making of threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has served two years in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
