Dorchester man gets time served for carrying loaded gun, armor-piercing bullets on T

A Dorchester man who pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded gun and armor-piercing ammunition on the MBTA in 2020 has been sentenced to time served, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced.

Pepo Herd El, 51, of Dorchester, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Herd El was arrested on Thanksgiving Day 2020 and has been in custody since.

On Thursday, a judge sentenced Herd El to time served plus 10 days, which equates to about 49 months in prison, according to Levy’s office. The sentence is to be followed by three years of supervised release. 

According to investigators, Herd El took a bus from his Dorchester home to Ruggles station in Roxbury, 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. 

Officials said that at the time of his arrest, Herd El was wearing a bullet-proof vest and a jacket with “security” written on it. He told officers that he was headed to Thanksgiving dinner.

Investigators identified Herd El through his online purchasing history, which showed that he bought firearm accessories and various chemicals capable of creating incendiary or explosive compounds, according to Levy’s office.

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, officials said.