Jamaican man who fled custody twice and wanted for murder in St Lucia jailed in US

Orville Andrew Pernell, the Jamaican man who fled custody in St Lucia, where he was wanted for murder, and who also escaped custody while in Jamaica, has been sentenced to federal prison in the United States for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the US.

Pernell, 33, of St Mary, Jamaica, was sentenced yesterday by US District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson to 33 months’ imprisonment.

After serving his sentence, he will be subject to removal and extradition proceedings.

“After he was charged with murder, Pernell escaped custody twice in the Caribbean, entered the United States under a different identity, and then repeatedly endangered our community through his possession of stolen and high-powered firearms,” US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement dated May 19.

“All of our communities are safer with Pernell behind bars and subject to extradition to St Lucia to face murder charges,” Hertzberg added.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd of the ATF Atlanta division said individuals who attempt to hide behind false identities, cross international borders unlawfully, and traffic stolen firearms should understand that ATF and its law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who threaten public safety.

“This case highlights ATF’s critical role in tracing illegal firearms, disrupting trafficking networks, and ensuring dangerous offenders are removed from our communities,” Todd added.

“No one who flees justice abroad and threatens public safety in the United States will escape accountability,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama.

“Through the coordinated efforts of HSI and our partners, Pernell has been apprehended, convicted, and when his sentence concludes, will be returned to face murder charges in Saint Lucia.”

According to court documents outlined by Hertzberg, Pernell was charged with murder in St Lucia on October 8, 2020.

While awaiting trial, he escaped custody in St Lucia and was later arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021.

He subsequently escaped Jamaican custody while awaiting extradition to St Lucia.

Nearly 18 months later, American immigration authorities encountered Pernell attempting to illegally enter the United States at an unmanned area near the San Ysidro point of entry on the California-Mexico border.

US authorities said Pernell identified himself as “Oneil Christopher Reid” and was allowed to enter the United States pending further immigration proceedings.

Court documents stated that on July 21, 2023, sheriff’s deputies in Clayton County, Georgia, stopped Pernell for driving a motorcycle at 115 miles per hour.

Deputies reportedly searched him and found a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket.

Although he was arrested for speeding, fleeing, driving without a licence, and receiving stolen property, Pernell posted bail and was released from custody in less than two months.

The court was told that in 2025, federal law enforcement determined Pernell was living in the United States under the alias Reid.

He was arrested on April 4, 2025, while agents simultaneously executed a search warrant at his home in Hinesville, Georgia.

US authorities said agents found another stolen handgun and an assault rifle with a loaded high-capacity magazine at the home.

On February 11, 2026, Pernell pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

According to the US authorities, while in federal custody, Pernell repeatedly damaged the walls of his cell at a pretrial detention facility in apparent escape attempts.

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