A Las Vegas man was arrested on Saturday outside former United States President Donald Trump’s rally in California’s Coachella, known for its annual music and arts festival.
Vem Miller, 49, was found in possession of many guns, ammunition boxes, and passports bearing various identities, as stated by Riverside County Sheriff Chand Bianco.
He was arrested at a checkpoint during the event at around five o’clock in the evening.
Here’s all we know about him.
Who is Vem Miller?
Miller was identified in a police news release as a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident.
He is a registered Republican who ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022 but lost his primary. Miller told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2022 that he was running for office because “tyranny has taken over this country.”
He was reportedly concerned about voter fraud and was embroiled in a lawsuit alleging he and others had not been let to watch the vote-counting process, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Additionally, he expressed support for solar energy projects and wished to see more electric car manufacturing in Nevada, according to the report.
According to Southern California News Group, he graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He describes himself on his LinkedIn page as “an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and content producer,” with experience working on shows for major networks like Netflix and VICE Media.
Miller possibly directed music videos for musicians like Trey Songz and DMX as part of the popular combo Vem & Tony, according to his IMDB biography.
In the latest Kanye West documentary Jeen-Yuhs, he is also seen making a fleeting cameo in the background of archives. as per The Independent.
Miller is the founder and host of the American Happens Network podcast Blood Money. According to the podcast website, the show focuses on “topics of corruption, controversy, and conspiracy — topics the mainstream media will not touch.”
How was he arrested?
Around 5 pm on Saturday, deputies pulled over suspect Vem Miller in a black SUV not far from the rally. It is reported that Miller passed the first security check by posing as a VIP and media representative.
At a news conference on Sunday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stated that during a second stop, a deputy saw that Miller’s SUV was in “disarray” and had an “obviously fake” license plate, prompting investigators to look into it further.
Law enforcement snipers look over the scene as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, October 12, 2024, in Coachella, California. AP
Subsequently, the police discovered that Miller supposedly held multiple driver’s licenses and passports under different identities. He also carried an unregistered loaded revolver and shotgun, as well as a large-capacity ammunition magazine.
Sheriff Bianco said the markings on the license plate indicated Miller was part of “a group of individuals that claim to be ‘sovereign citizens,’” a right-wing movement that doesn’t believe in the government’s legitimacy.
Bianco emphasised that people who don’t want to obtain driver’s licenses or register their cars are usually involved in this movement.
The Riverside Sheriff remarked on Sunday, “I couldn’t care less what political party he belongs to,” branding Miller a “lunatic” with “fringe” anti-government beliefs. He stated that the man who had been detained was, in his opinion, a potential assassin.
What charges is he facing?
“Miller was taken into custody without incident and later booked at the John J Benoit Detention Centre for possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
Miller was released Saturday on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Centre in early January, according to the local Press-Enterprise newspaper.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Office stated on Sunday that any further charges against Miller would probably come from federal authorities and that their investigation into the matter is probably almost over.
“The incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
The US Attorney’s Los Angeles office, in a statement on its website on Sunday, also said Trump was not in danger, citing the US Secret Service. The statement added that while no federal arrest had been made, an investigation was ongoing.
A message is displayed on a screen, during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump, in Coachella, California, US, October 12, 2024. Reuters
Miller has denied that he was there to attack Trump at the rally.
The 49-year-old, who is a supporter of the former president, told Southern California News Group he was “shocked” to learn that the arrest was part of an assassination plot.
“These accusations are complete bull****,” Miller said, adding, “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Previous assassination attempts
Security is very tight at Trump rallies following two recent assassination attempts.
Ryan Wesley Routh was charged in September with attempting to assassinate Trump after he was found with a high-powered rifle outside Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach.
Routh entered a not-guilty plea.
Trump narrowly escaped death when he was shot in the ear by Matthew Crooks on July 13 at a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.
Two attendees suffered serious injuries, and one participant, Corey Comperatore, died.
Crooks was killed by Secret Service countersniper operatives.
With inputs from agencies
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Publish date : 2024-10-13 18:49:00
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