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Dorchester man pleads guilty to carrying a loaded gun at MBTA station
Pepo Herd El, 51, was arrested on Thanksgiving Day, 2020, for illegally carrying a loaded firearm and armor-piercing ammunition.
A Boston man pleaded guilty to illegally carrying a loaded pistol and armor-piercing ammunition at Ruggles station in 2020, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced.
Pepo Herd El, 51, of Dorchester, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Nov. 26, 2020, which was Thanksgiving Day, Herd El took a bus from his home to the Roxbury station, where police were waiting. Investigators searched him and found a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a laser sight, three spare magazines, 45 rounds of ammunition, a knife, and an infrared camera.
Police said Herd El was also wearing a bullet-proof vest and a jacket that had “security” written on it. He told officers that he was on his way to Thanksgiving dinner. Herd El was arrested and has been in custody since that incident.
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Due to several 2004 state convictions for possessing firearms without permits and other crimes, it is illegal for Herd El to possess firearms and ammunition, according to officials.
Investigators first identified Herd El when his online purchasing history showed that he was buying firearm accessories and chemicals that could create explosive compounds.
In the year before his arrest, Herd El made several online firearms-related purchases, including a laser sight, magazines, and a concealable holster, according to officials.
Herd El also bought extended magazine plates, which investigators say allow magazines to hold more rounds. He also purchased a Glock firing pin safety, which reduces the force required to pull the trigger.
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According to court documents, Herd El adhered to the sovereign citizen ideology. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, sovereign citizens believe they are not under the federal government’s jurisdiction and consider themselves exempt from U.S. law.
In a subsequent search of Herd El’s Dorchester apartment, investigators discovered another magazine loaded with armor-piercing rounds and saw various drawings of gun barrel designs, firearms suppressors, and bullets on the walls. In the kitchen and dining area, investigators also found various tools that could manufacture ammunition and a chemistry book with handwritten notes about making TNT and C-4 explosives.
Herd El is due to be sentenced on Jan. 2, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
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