Pepo Herd El, a 51-year-old resident of Dorchester, has been sentenced to almost four years in prison after being found guilty of unlawfully carrying a loaded pistol. This verdict was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts.
The U.S. attorney’s office also revealed that Herd El, a convicted felon, was found in possession of armor-piercing ammunition.
The department has confirmed the identification of Herd El through his online purchasing history. It was discovered that he had been acquiring firearm accessories and chemicals with the potential to create explosive compounds.
According to court documents, Herd El followed the sovereign citizen ideology, which is typically regarded as anti-government and anti-authority.
On Thanksgiving Day in 2020, Herd El took a bus from Dorchester to the Ruggles MBTA station. Upon arrival, he was detained and searched under a warrant, according to the department.
Law enforcement officials discovered several items during their investigation, including a loaded semi-automatic pistol equipped with a laser sight, three spare magazines, 45 rounds of ammunition, a knife, and an infrared camera, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Herd El, on his way to Thanksgiving dinner, was seen wearing a bullet-proof vest and a jacket labeled “security.”
Officers discovered additional incriminating evidence during their search of Herd El’s residence. Among the findings were a magazine containing armor-piercing rounds, hand-drawn designs of gun barrels, firearm suppressors, and various bullets.
The office reported that they also found other items, such as tools used for manufacturing ammunition and a chemistry book with handwritten notes detailing the materials necessary for creating explosives like TNT and C-4.
In December 2024, Herd El admitted his guilt to two charges of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, according to the department.