The MTA worker who was previously suspended by the agency for calling out sick in order to attend the D.C. protests was arrested by the FBI for his role in the siege at the Capitol Building, a senior law enforcement official said.
Will Pepe was picked up by authorities around 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in a White Plains bank parking lot, a senior law enforcement official told NBC New York. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Manhattan also confirmed the arrest.
He is facing charges in federal court in Washington, D.C. regarding the violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Previously, he was accused of participating in the protest and storming Capitol Hill, and appears to be in a photo published by Metro Police that shows him inside the building.
Pepe appeared via teleconference in federal court in White Plains Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with trespassing on federal government property and with impeding the orderly function of government.
Pepe was released on a $10,000 bond with travel restrictions, GPS monitoring, a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and surrender of his shotgun and several knives.
Pepe’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 22.
In a statement after his arrest, the MTA said that participation in the deadly riot was "abhorrent to the values of the MTA and New Yorkers, and those who attacked that symbol of American democracy disqualified themselves from working for the People of New York."
News
Pepe is among hundreds of alleged rioters now under investigation for their involvement in Wednesday's insurrection. The Metro-North employee was suspended by the MTA last week, and the transit agency said they are cooperating with federal law enforcement in their investigation. MTA officials said he had called in sick to attend the protests in Washington, D.C. Pepe was a laborer at Metro-North’s train yard in Brewster, New York
Contact information for Pepe was not known. Attorney information for him was not immediately clear.
