Dorchester man sentenced for carrying loaded gun at T stop while wearing bulletproof vest

A Dorchester man who has been in custody since his arrest on Thanksgiving Day 2020 for carrying a loaded gun at a T-stop while wearing a bulletproof vest was sentenced Thursday to time served plus an additional 10 days behind bars, according to the prosecutors.

Pepo Herd El, 51, was sentenced in Boston District Court, where He pleaded guilty last month. to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office.

Herd El’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About a year before his arrest, prosecutors said, Herd El made gun-related purchases online, including a laser sight, magazines and a concealed holster, as well as extended plates that allow magazines to hold more bullets and a firing pin safety. Glock that reduces the amount of force needed to pull the trigger.

Herd El adhered to a so-called sovereign citizen ideology that is generally referred to as “anti-government and anti-authority,” prosecutors said.

He was arrested on Nov. 26, 2020 after taking a T bus from his home to the Ruggles MBTA stop, where authorities detained and searched him pursuant to a search warrant, according to the release.

“During the search, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a laser sight, three spare magazines, 45 rounds of ammunition, a knife and an infrared camera were recovered,” prosecutors said. “Herd El was also wearing a bulletproof vest and a jacket that had ‘security’ written on it.”

He told officials he was headed to Thanksgiving dinner at the time, according to the statement, and authorities later searched his residence.

Prosecutors said “another magazine loaded with armor-piercing bullets was recovered and on the walls were several drawings of gun barrel designs, firearm silencers and bullets. Also found were several tools that could make ammunition and a chemistry book that contained handwritten notes on the materials needed to make TNT and C-4.”

Herd El is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior state convictions for weapons offenses and other violations, officials said.

In addition to the approximately four years in prison served, Herd El was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $200 fine.

This story will be updated when more information is released.

Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected].