Would-be assassin or Trump-supporting ‘sovereign citizen’? What we know about suspect Vem Miller
Police arrested a man they said was armed with multiple weapons and inconsistent identification documents just outside a Donald Trump rally on Saturday in Coachella Valley, California, in what officials are describing as a thwarted third assassination attempt against the former president.
However, the suspect – described as a “sovereign citizen” – is believed to be a Trump fan and told a news outlet he didn’t mean the Republican candidate any harm.
Here’s everything we know about suspect Vem Miller, 49, who has denied wrongdoing.
How was he arrested?
Deputies stopped suspect Vem Miller in a black SUV around 5pm on Saturday about half a mile from the rally, after he allegedly managed to make it through an initial security checkpoint by claiming VIP and media credentials.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a press conference on Sunday that at a second stop, a deputy noticed that Miller’s SUV was in “disarray” with an “obviously fake” license plate, prompting deputies to investigate further.
Police then found that Miller allegedly had multiple driver’s licenses and passports with different names and possessed a loaded handgun and shotgun, both unregistered, as well as a high-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 legitimacy of the government.
The Independent has contacted Miller for comment.
What charges is he facing?
“Miller was taken into custody without incident and later booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center for possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
Miller has denied he was near the rally to attack Trump.
The 49-year-old told Southern California News Group he was “shocked” to hear the arrest being described as an assassination plot, telling the outlet he’s a supporter of the former president.
“These accusations are complete bull****,” Miller said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Sources close to the Trump campaign told Fox News there had been no assassination attempt at the Coachella rally.
