SPRINGFIELD — A South Deerfield resident was arrested this week on assault charges for allegedly spitting in the face of a federal agent.

James Gerard Pepe, 25, of South Deerfield, also identified in court documents as Judith Pepe, was arrested Tuesday while federal agents executed a search warrant of a bedroom inside a South Main Street apartment connected to a U.S. Capitol Police investigation, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court and a news release from the Department of Justice. Pepe is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees.

While agents searched the apartment, Pepe was directed to sit in a chair, became “visibly agitated” and allegedly “yelled and directed profanity, insults, taunts and threats at agents, as well as threatened to spit in an agent’s face.” After continuing to allegedly behave in an agitated manner, Pepe was placed in handcuffs and, while being escorted out of the apartment, “allegedly spit in the face and eye of the escorting agent,” according to the Department of Justice.

“Because Pepe’s behavior made conducting the search safely and efficiently impossible, agents decided to handcuff Pepe and place Pepe in a law enforcement vehicle, where Pepe could stay warm until the search was completed,” states an FBI special agent’s affidavit filed with U.S. District Court in Springfield. “While being placed in handcuffs, Pepe apparently began gathering saliva in Pepe’s mouth. … Before exiting the apartment, I observed Pepe turn and spit on Agent 1. I specifically saw the spit hit Agent 1’s face and left eye.”

Pepe’s arrest comes a week after another South Deerfield resident, Riley Jane English, was arrested at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 27 for allegedly telling Capitol Police that she had come to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other top Republicans. English is a 24-year-old transgender woman who, according to documents filed by her public defender, has “faced ridicule, discrimination, abuse and scorn from family and friends because of her identity.”

The relationship between Pepe and English is unclear. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment but when English was searched at the Capitol, she allegedly had a note addressed to a Judith, according to federal court documents in that case.

“Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart,” English, who told Capitol Police that she has a congenital heart defect, allegedly wrote. “[Expletive] them for pushing us so far. You don’t deserve this. I’m so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive.”

The charge of assaulting a federal officer can carry a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the Department of Justice.

Pepe was released under conditions that include not violating further laws, cooperating in the collection of a DNA sample if it is authorized and participating in mental health counseling or treatment as directed by a probation office, according to court records.

Pepe is represented by Springfield-based attorney Bernard O’Connor Jr., who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

O’Connor must inform the court whether he will waive a preliminary hearing or whether one should be scheduled by the court by the end of Friday, Feb. 7.

Chris Larabee can be reached at
clarabee@recorder.com.