US Individual Linked to Aussie Gunmen Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors

A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that claimed six lives – among them two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a less severe plea agreement.

Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will face court on 21 October after finalizing the bargain with American authorities.

The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole offense of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal 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.

This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.

The Trains were killed in a gun battle with law enforcement, following a extended standoff at the regional property.

American officials said Day corresponded via online platforms with the perpetrators during the period of the fatal attack.

Day described Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he desired to be at Wieambilla physically.

Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic recording on the video platform 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 expressed.

Firearms Cache and Court Case

Court documents reveal Day accumulated a collection of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped 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’,” Day said in the plea deal filed in the legal system.

He stated he regularly accessed both the gun room and the firearms, and also trained others on how to operate the guns correctly.

The bargain will result in dismissed counts that pertain to the accused issuing threats to public figures and federal agents.

According to legal files, Day had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.

Day, who has served two years in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.