Mass Live
November 27, 2020
Federal authorities say they arrested a Boston man with extremist views who they say bought a gun, body armor and chemicals to make a bomb.
Pepo Herd El, 47, of Dorchester, was arrested Thursday night at the Ruggles Station after he got off an MBTA bus. Police found a loaded pistol, three spare magazines that were loaded, a knife and a bullet-proof vest.
El is is barred from carrying guns and ammunition because of a 2004 state conviction for possessing firearms without permits.
When he was detained, El had on a security jacket even though he’s not a security guard, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
El was charged by criminal complaint by one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was detained after an initial appearance until his next hearing, which is set for Dec. 2.
Authorities also linked El, who has been under police surveillance, to purchases of chemicals and four rifle-rated hard body armor plates, according to court records.
El was tied to a series of other Amazon purchases made between Jan. 5, 2019 and Oct. 20, just over a month ago. They include a pinhole security camera, spy cameras, a velcro police patch and beanies with logos from Home Depot, Amtrak and AT&T, court records say.
Authorities said he adheres to a “sovereign citizen extremist ideology.”
Federal authorities say they arrested a Boston man with extremist views who they say bought a gun, body armor and chemicals to make a bomb.
Pepo Herd El, 47, of Dorchester, was arrested Thursday night at the Ruggles Station after he got off an MBTA bus. Police found a loaded pistol, three spare magazines that were loaded, a knife and a bullet-proof vest.
El is is barred from carrying guns and ammunition because of a 2004 state conviction for possessing firearms without permits.
When he was detained, El had on a security jacket even though he’s not a security guard, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
El was charged by criminal complaint by one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was detained after an initial appearance until his next hearing, which is set for Dec. 2.
Authorities also linked El, who has been under police surveillance, to purchases of chemicals and four rifle-rated hard body armor plates, according to court records.
El was tied to a series of other Amazon purchases made between Jan. 5, 2019 and Oct. 20, just over a month ago. They include a pinhole security camera, spy cameras, a velcro police patch and beanies with logos from Home Depot, Amtrak and AT&T, court records say.
Authorities said he adheres to a “sovereign citizen extremist ideology.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the “sovereign citizen” movement refers to a loosely organized collection of groups with a right-wing anarchist ideology that seeks to implement a minimalist government. The movement dates back to the 1970s.
The FBI defines “sovereign citizens” as those who “claim to have special knowledge or heritage rendering them immune from government authority and laws,” according to court documents. While authorities not the ideology isn’t illegal, they say sovereign citizens have sometimes expressed their views through physical force or used their belief to justify fraud or theft.
Federal agents who searched El’s homes also found chemicals that were bought from Amazon or eBay, according to in court documents. On their own, the chemicals can be used for cleaning, but they could also be combined together to make a bomb.
Special agent bomb technicians who identified several chemicals didn’t immediately see any explosives or black powder. Authorities said it was difficult to immediately determine whether there was any contraband in the home, blaming El’s clutter.
“The residence is also disorganized and cluttered, making the search difficult and time-consuming, especially considering the added safety precautions that have to be taken where agents are concerned about the possibility of explosives,” the affidavit states.
The FBI defines “sovereign citizens” as those who “claim to have special knowledge or heritage rendering them immune from government authority and laws,” according to court documents. While authorities not the ideology isn’t illegal, they say sovereign citizens have sometimes expressed their views through physical force or used their belief to justify fraud or theft.
Federal agents who searched El’s homes also found chemicals that were bought from Amazon or eBay, according to in court documents. On their own, the chemicals can be used for cleaning, but they could also be combined together to make a bomb.
Special agent bomb technicians who identified several chemicals didn’t immediately see any explosives or black powder. Authorities said it was difficult to immediately determine whether there was any contraband in the home, blaming El’s clutter.
“The residence is also disorganized and cluttered, making the search difficult and time-consuming, especially considering the added safety precautions that have to be taken where agents are concerned about the possibility of explosives,” the affidavit states.
