‘White supremacist’ arrested by FBI must stay in jail until his trial, judge rules
Paul Miller, who as the “Gypsy Crusader” amassed a large following on the social platform Telegram, was ordered detained after a federal magistrate Wednesday found him to be a danger to the community.
Magistrate Patrick Hunt ruled that Miller, 32, be held on pretrial detention until his arraignment, which is now scheduled for March 24. The issue of his bond might be revisited then.
Miller, who the Anti-Defamation League called “a volatile white supremacist-accelerationist,” describes himself on Telegram as an “investigative journalist” with “News for Patriots Christians and God loving Americans.”
Last week, FBI agents — as part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force —and Fort Lauderdale police officers arrested Miller at his home on a single charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm dating back to 2018. He could face an additional charges because authorities found a disassembled rifle when he was arrested in Fort Lauderdale.
New Jersey records show that Miller was convicted of drug manufacturing and distribution charges in 2007 and 2009.
After his arrest last week, federal prosecutor Kiran Bhat said he would be asking the magistrate for pretrial detention, saying that the reputed white supremacist is a danger to the community.
Defense attorney Norman Kent, who represented Miller at Wednesday’s hearing, said the government is essentially making “a case against protected free speech.”
He said the magistrate ultimately made a decision to detain Miller based on what he did, not what he said on the internet. Kent said Miller’s legal troubles were compounded because agents found the disassembled rifle at his home.
“What this guy does is for show, theater, entertainment,” he said. “This is not what the government is making it out to be.”
With more than 42,000 followers, Miller shares videos and posts with swastikas and racial slurs.
“The feeling I had is he’s more hype than harm,” Kent said.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 8:20 PM.
