An alleged white supremacist arrested on federal weapons charges in Fort Lauderdale will remain behind bars for now, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Paul Miller, 32, made an appearance Wednesday in court, where federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida were seeking to have him stay in custody until he goes to trial.
In making their case prosecutors portrayed him as a man with a large following on social media who was spreading hate. The prosecutors said more that 42,000 people follow his videos on social media and that he was rallying them and encouraging them to spread hate too.
Miller was arrested last week during an FBI raid on charges of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, after he was already under indictment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon related to a 2018 case, court records showed.
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Prosecutors said a week ago that he shouldn’t be out on the street but it wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon in court when they said why.
The prosecutors said Miller was a real danger to the community and that when FBI agents went into his home on March 2 they found a huge amount of ammunition and a short barrel rifle that he was making himself.
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Prosecutors said Miller waived his Miranda rights and said that Black Lives Matter and Antifa were basically out to get him, alleging his family had received threats. NBC News had reported that images of him have been seen on social media dressed at the Joker and making anti-Semitic statements.
"I'm scared, I'm living alone, I don't have anybody with me," Miller told authorities, according to an arrest affidavit. "Somebody's going to, these people are trying to kill me."
According to the arrest affidavit, Miller said he had purchased rifle parts and watched YouTube videos on how to assemble the rifle.
"He also said that he had attempted to build a gun rather than purchase a gun because he believed America was on the brink of collapse and that firearms manufacturing would be a 'good skill to learn' as a result," the affidavit said.
The affidavit said Miller pled guilty in 2007 in New Jersey to aggravated assault and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He had applied in 2018 to Florida authorities for a concealed weapon license but was denied based on the felony convictions, the affidavit said.
If convicted on the two weapons charges Miller could get 30 years in federal prison. He’s presumed innocent but will enter his official plea coming up at the end of March when he’s back in court.
Now that he’s going to be held before trial, he may be transferred from the Broward jail in Fort Lauderdale to a federal detention facility.
