Jamaican Murder Fugitive Sentenced in Georgia for Illegal Firearms Possession

Orville Pernell, wanted for murder in Saint Lucia, was sentenced to 33 months in a US prison after being found with stolen guns in Georgia.

Fugitive Charged with Murder in Saint Lucia Gets 33-Month US Prison Sentence

Orville Andrew Pernell, 33, a Jamaican national wanted for murder in Saint Lucia, was sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson, caribbeannationalweekly.com reports. Pernell had been living in the United States under the false identity "Oneil Christopher Reid."

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Pernell was originally charged with murder in Saint Lucia on October 8, 2020. While awaiting trial, he escaped custody in Saint Lucia, was later arrested in Jamaica in July 2021 pending extradition, and subsequently escaped Jamaican custody as well.

Approximately 18 months after his second escape, U.S. immigration authorities encountered Pernell attempting to enter the country illegally near the San Ysidro border crossing in California. He identified himself using his alias and was released pending immigration proceedings.

Pernell resurfaced in July 2023 when Clayton County, Georgia, sheriff's deputies stopped him for allegedly riding a motorcycle at 115 mph. Deputies found a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket during the stop. Despite being arrested on multiple charges — including speeding, fleeing police, driving without a license, and receiving stolen property — he posted bail and was released.

Federal investigators later established that Pernell was residing in the United States under the false identity. On April 4, 2025, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations arrested him again. A search of his home in Hinesville, Georgia, yielded a second stolen handgun and an assault-style rifle fitted with a loaded high-capacity magazine.

Pernell pleaded guilty on February 11, 2026, to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Following completion of his prison sentence, he will face removal and extradition proceedings.

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said Pernell had repeatedly put communities at risk after fleeing prosecution in the Caribbean. "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," Hertzberg stated.

Prosecutors also alleged that while in federal custody, Pernell damaged walls inside his detention cell in what they described as apparent escape attempts. The investigation was carried out by ATF and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office.

Source: Google News LC — Crime