A San Benito County sheriff's deputy is now on the wrong side of the bars after investigators say he lent an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition to a 17-year-old during a private dinner in Gilroy.
Deputy Ryan Miller, 31, surrendered yesterday after the allegation surfaced. San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor placed Miller on administrative leave, launched an internal affairs investigation, and confirmed that the weapon was recovered and turned over to investigators. Prosecutors later secured an arrest warrant accusing Miller of violating state firearm laws.
How Investigators Say the Dinner Turned Into a Criminal Case
Sheriff Taylor laid out the basic allegation in a video posted to social media, explaining that an anonymous tip kicked off the probe and that a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent retrieved the rifle "at the family's request," according to KTVU. Taylor said he then notified Gilroy's interim police chief so the city could open its own independent criminal investigation into the reported gun loan.
Charges and Custody
After Gilroy police completed their inquiry, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office obtained an arrest warrant accusing Miller of illegally lending an assault rifle and of loaning a firearm to a person under 21, as reported by KSBW. Working through his attorney, Miller turned himself in to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and was booked into jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 7 in Hollister, per the same report.
The initial account of the investigation also appeared in The Mercury News.
What California Law Says About Gun Loans
Under California law, the conduct Miller is accused of is treated as a serious crime. Penal Code 30600 makes it a felony to give or lend an assault weapon, with prison terms of four, six or eight years on the table. If the weapon is transferred to a minor, there is an additional one-year sentence enhancement.
On top of that, Penal Code 27505 bars selling, loaning or transferring any firearm to a minor except in narrow, supervised situations, such as certain hunting or safety-training contexts. Lending an AR-15-style rifle to a 17-year-old outside those carve-outs is exactly the sort of scenario those statutes were written to address.
How the Sheriff’s Office Is Responding
Sheriff Taylor has tried to strike a balance between transparency and the strict limits on what he can say about personnel matters.
"The San Benito County Sheriff's Office remains committed to the highest standards of conduct," he said, noting that the Peace Officer Bill of Rights restricts what his agency can disclose while internal discipline is pending, according to KTVU. Taylor said the department will continue its internal affairs process while Gilroy police press ahead with their separate criminal investigation.
What Comes Next
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office will handle the criminal prosecution, and Miller is due back in court on July 7, KSBW reports. Sheriff Taylor has cautioned that a felony conviction would likely end a deputy's career in law enforcement, and county officials say they plan to cooperate fully with outside investigators as the case moves forward.
