Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ATLANTA – Orville Andrew Pernell, also known as “Oneil Christopher Reid,” 32, of Saint Mary, Jamaica, was arraigned today before the Honorable 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. “Our office is proud of the collaborative work of our United States, Saint Lucian, and Jamaican law enforcement partners whose efforts resulted in Pernell’s identification and apprehension.”
“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.”
“This case demonstrates the far-reaching impact of Homeland Security Investigations in identifying and apprehending fugitives who pose a threat to public safety across international borders,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “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. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of HSI and our domestic and international counterparts, a dangerous individual is now off the streets and facing justice.”
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 traveling 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. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Wylly is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.