Orville Andrew Pernell, also known as "Oneil Christopher Reid," a 32-year-old man originally from Saint Mary, Jamaica, has been indicted in Atlanta on a federal firearm charge. The indictment was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Pernell is charged with possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury last month, alleges that Pernell entered the U.S. unlawfully after fleeing law enforcement in the Caribbean.
Pernell is also wanted in connection with the October 8, 2020, murder of Clius Alfred in Saint Lucia. He escaped custody there and was later arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021. While awaiting extradition to Saint Lucia, he escaped again.
On December 7, 2022, Pernell attempted to enter the United States using the false identity “Oneil Christopher Reid.” He was later apprehended on July 21, 2023, in Georgia after a high-speed motorcycle pursuit. Authorities reported that he was found in possession of a stolen motorcycle and a stolen firearm, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
He is currently in custody in the United States, awaiting trial and possible extradition to Saint Lucia. The investigation involves cooperation between several agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting illegal immigration and violent crime.
Pernell is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wylly.
