Orville Andrew Pernell, also known as ‘Oneil Christopher Reid’, 32, of Saint Mary, Jamaica, was arraigned today before John K. Larkins, III, United States Magistrate Judge, on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States.
Pernell was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on April 23, 2025.
“Pernell is an international fugitive who was charged with murder before escaping custody in both Saint Lucia and Jamaica, and then unlawfully entering the United States under a false identity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.
“Law enforcement collaboration is instrumental in apprehending violent individuals locally and internationally,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “This arraignment sends a direct message to criminals that ATF and our local and international law enforcement partners will investigate and protect its citizens.”
Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said Pernell’s ability to evade law enforcement in multiple countries and unlawfully enter the United States under a false identity “underscores the importance of strong global partnerships”.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges and other information presented in court, Pernell was charged with the murder of Clius Alfred in Saint Lucia on October 8, 2020.
He then escaped custody in Saint Lucia while awaiting trial. He was arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021, but then escaped Jamaican custody while awaiting his extradition to Saint Lucia.
Pernell was then encountered by immigration authorities on December 7, 2022, when he attempted to illegally enter the United States via an unmanned border area near the San Ysidro point of entry.
He gave the false name of “Oneil Christopher Reid” and was allowed to enter the United States pending further immigration proceedings.
On July 21, 2023, Pernell, using the Reid alias, was stopped by the Clayton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office after being observed travelling 115 miles per hour on a motorcycle.
He attempted to flee but was forced to stop after he encountered a heavily congested intersection.
Once he was stopped, officers determined that the motorcycle he was driving was stolen.
During a search that followed, officers found a firearm in the front pocket of his jacket.
Officers also determined that the firearm was stolen from a Southern Freight Lines firearms shipment.
He was arrested for possession of a stolen motorcycle, possession of a stolen firearm, and attempting to evade arrest.
Pernell is facing federal charges of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States.
He has been ordered detained pending trial, and is subject to removal and extradition back to Saint Lucia once the proceedings in the United States are concluded.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains a charge.
