A Boston man, Pepo Herd El, also known as Pepo Wamchawi Herd, was sentenced for carrying a loaded firearm at an MBTA station. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs sentenced the 51-year-old Dorchester resident to time served plus ten days, amounting to approximately 49 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Herd El pleaded guilty in December 2024 to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was arrested on Thanksgiving Day in 2020 and has been detained since then.
Court documents revealed that Herd El had made several online purchases related to firearms over the year before his arrest. These included a laser sight, magazines, a concealable holster, extended magazine plates, and a Glock firing pin safety. Authorities noted that Herd El adhered to the sovereign citizen ideology.
On November 26, 2020, Herd El traveled from Dorchester to the Ruggles MBTA station where he was detained under a search warrant. Law enforcement recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol with accessories including three spare magazines and 45 rounds of ammunition. Additional items found included a knife and an infrared camera. He was wearing a bullet-proof vest and clothing marked "security" at the time.
A subsequent search of his residence uncovered another magazine loaded with armor-piercing rounds along with drawings related to firearms and tools capable of manufacturing ammunition. A chemistry book with notes on making TNT and C-4 was also discovered.
Due to prior convictions dating back to 2004 for possessing firearms without permits among other offenses, Herd El is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The announcement of the sentencing was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy alongside Jodi Cohen from the FBI's Boston Field Division. The case received support from multiple agencies including the Boston Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck and Timothy Kistner led the prosecution with assistance from Benjamin Tolkoff.