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VISIT HEYSOCAL.COM
MONDAY, JANUARY 13- JANUARY 19, 2025
VOL. 11,
NO. 206
Man charged with carrying guns to Trump rally rails against Riverside County sheriff, DA
Riverside supervisors approve contract with developer for library renovations
By City News Service
By City News Service
A
49-year-old Nevada man charged with possessing a loaded firearm when he arrived at a campaign rally for Presidentelect Donald Trump in the Coachella Valley called into the Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ meeting Tuesday, saying the accusations against him were spurious and that Sheriff Chad Bianco was unfit for office. “I was falsely accused of being the third Trump assassin,” Vem Miller of Las Vegas told the board during its open public comments segment of the meeting. “The FBI cleared me. Nevertheless, Chad Bianco can go on a media tour and accuse me (because he wants) to be the next corrupt governor of California.” Miller previously spoke telephonically to the board in October, generally touching on the same points. Last month, the District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against him, charging a misdemeanor count of possession of a loaded firearm without a permit and failure to show proof of current vehicle registration, an infraction. Miller pleaded not guilty to the allegations during an arraignment last week. He’s free on his own recognizance and is next scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on March 11. “This has had an adverse effect on my life and my family’s,” he told the board, adding that his “work of 30 years” had been undone and his reputation permanently damaged as a result of his arrest, followed by the complaint against him. The simplest endeavors, such as obtaining credit, have been stymied. “What Chad Bianco did
was criminal,” the Republican activist said. Miller intimated that he had been in contact with individuals and conducted his own research pointing to “bribery, pay scandals” and other acts that cast the sheriff’s department in a negative light. “It’s one of the most embarrassing (law enforce-
agencies, relying on senior prosecutors and their supervisors to make decisions on whether charges should be filed in a case. The district attorney himself is seldom involved. “Exposing these corrupt officials has had the desired effect,” Miller said. “Chad Bianco will never be governor and will never hold
Sheriff Chad Bianco. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
ment) departments in the country,” Miller said. He expressed disbelief that the District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint against him, “instead of going after Bianco.” Miller alleged D.A. Mike Hestrin was directly involved in the charges against him to cover for the sheriff. Hestrin told City News Service he had no comment. The D.A.’s office generally resorts to “staffing” complaint requests submitted by law enforcement
public office again.” The sheriff’s department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In October, Miller announced during the board’s public comments period that he had begun releasing audio of his personally recorded encounter with deputies providing security during the campaign rally in Coachella for Trump on Oct. 12. The files had been posted See Vem Miller Page 24
on Miller’s Twitter page: @ notvemmiller. Within a week of his arrest, Miller filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging defamation of character in connection with Bianco’s comments regarding his possession of guns in his vehicle. Bianco, who attended the Trump rally as a supporter, said in a news briefing a day after Miller’s arrest that a deputy had noticed “the interior of (the suspect’s) vehicle in disarray (and what appeared to be) a fake license plate,” raising suspicions. “The license plate was homemade and indicative of individuals who claim to be sovereign citizens,” Bianco said, suggesting there were concerns Miller might be some kind of militiaman. The sheriff also alleged there were “multiple fake passports” in the vehicle. “As far as I’m concerned, a minimum of 25,000 people passed deputies with legitimate identification and didn’t have guns,” Bianco said. “I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt. I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt.” The sheriff later appeared to walk back that statement, acknowledging in a Los Angeles Times interview that Miller “probably wasn’t there to hurt former President Trump.” Miller filed his civil action in Nevada, stating in court papers that Bianco “intentionally, maliciously and with a blatant disregard for the truth, wanted to create a narrative so as to be viewed as a `heroic’
T
he Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $1.4 million contract with an Alpine-based construction company for renovations to the Mecca Library. In a 4-0 vote without comment — and Supervisor Chuck Washington absent — the supervisors signed off on the Riverside County Office of Economic Development’s selection of LM Rasmussen Construction Inc. as the preferred bidder for the “Mecca Library Renovation & Expansion Project.” The enterprise has been in the works since June 2022 and entails replacing electrical panels and lights, the HVAC system, as well as upgrading the fire sprinkler system and flooring, according to documents posted to the board’s agenda. “The Mecca Library Renovation & Expansion Project will enhance the overall welfare of the community through an open and larger layout, new finishes and furniture, reading and learning materials and enhanced personal enrichment classes and programs,” according to an Office of Economic Development statement. Officials said a total of six contractors in September responded to a request for bids on the project, and LM Rasmussen Construction was determined to be the most See Library Page 23
Suspect shot by deputies in Temecula By City News Service
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iverside County Sheriff’s Office deputies shot a suspect during a confrontation in Temecula, authorities said Thursday. Deputies assigned to the Southwest Sheriff’s Station were sent to the 32200 block of Cask Lane on Wednesday at approximately 5:56 p.m. regarding a family dispute. According to deputies, the caller told them an unwelcomed family member broke into his residence while his wife and son were inside, then left the residence but continued to behave erratically in the parking lot and was refused to leave, said Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez. Before the deputies arrived, the caller told sheriff’s dispatch the suspect had been breaking the windows of a vehicle and setting it on fire. When the deputies arrived, they found the suspect sitting inside the burning vehicle and acting erratically, Brito-Gonzalez said. Deputies told the suspect to exit the vehicle, but he refused to comply and continued to behave erratically and aggressively toward deputies. The suspect then produced a See Deputies Page 24