A Nevada man who supports President Donald Trump was accused of trying to assassinate Trump after deputies arrested him near a rally in October, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the man.

As a “deeply involved” Trump supporter since 2016, Vem Miller got tickets to attend a rally for the then-presidential candidate in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California, on Oct. 12, 2024, according to complaint filed Monday.

But Miller missed the rally because he was detained outside the event, a complaint says.

About a mile away from the event site, the complaint says, Miller drove over to a deputy from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office to disclose he had two firearms before he tried to enter the parking lot for the rally, according to the complaint.

He did so “in accordance with his experience of attending political rallies in Nevada,” believing informing the deputy was “the right thing” to do, the complaint says. Miller is also a supporter of the Second Amendment, the complaint notes.

Then, according to Miller, a second deputy arrived. The deputies violated his constitutional rights by detaining him instead of giving him a citation and searched his car, the complaint says. They arrested him on charges of carrying/loaded firearm and large capacity magazine, according to the filing.

Afterward, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco publicly declared deputies stopped “the third ‘would-be Trump assassin,’” according to the complaint.

While speaking to news outlets, Bianco wrongly accused Miller of plotting to assassinate Trump, defaming him as a result, the complaint says.

Now, Miller is suing Bianco and is seeking at least $100 million in damages. His lawsuit also names Riverside County, the sheriff’s office and one deputy as defendants.

The county referred McClatchy News’ request for comment to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which told McClatchy News that it hadn’t received the lawsuit as of Wednesday morning. The office declined to comment, as it doesn’t comment on pending litigation, according to a public information officer.

“As alleged, Mr. Miller’s civil rights were violated, and he was defamed per se by the top law enforcement officer in Riverside County,” Miller’s attorney Ethan Bearman said in a statement to McClatchy News on Wednesday. “This cannot be allowed to stand unchecked, and Mr. Miller asks the court to hold the defendants fully accountable for their egregious actions.”

The day after the rally, on Oct. 13, Bianco held a news conference on Miller’s arrest.

Bianco told the media that Miller was found with a fake VIP pass at the rally and multiple fake passports and driver’s licenses, The Press-Enterprise reported in October.

“We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” Bianco said, according to the local newspaper.

Miller is denying Bianco’s accusations in his lawsuit, which says he had valid entry passes for the rally. It also notes that he’s Armenian and has documents with variations of his legal name because he is a dual citizen.

“Sheriff Bianco’s statements specifically targeted Mr. Miller’s dual citizenship status and legal name variations,” the complaint says.

Miller says he’s a journalist who’s attended more than 20 events for Trump between 2020 and 2024 “in both journalistic and social capacities.”

Since 2020, he’s produced media content in support of Trump, according to the complaint.

The complaint says Bianco knew he was wrongly accusing Miller of an assassination attempt because the FBI and the Secret Service “had already dismissed the idea.”

When deputies searched Miller’s car near the rally, they were joined by agents from the FBI and the Secret Service, according to the complaint.

McClatchy News contacted the FBI and Secret Service for comment on March 12. The Secret Service did not respond and the FBI declined comment.

Bianco’s false accusations against Miller have harmed him in a variety of ways, including by leading to international news coverage falsely identifying him “as a potential presidential assassin,” according to the complaint.

He’s had to relocate due to threats, experienced damage to his reputation, and has missed out on business opportunities and income, the complaint says.

Miller has also experienced “severe emotional distress” and “severance of family relationships,” the filing says.

He’s asking the court to declare that his constitutional rights were violated and that he’s been defamed.

Miller is demanding a jury trial with his lawsuit.

The case comes after Miller filed a similar lawsuit against Bianco in Nevada federal court in October, The Press-Enterprise reported.

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