Jamaican Fugitive Who Escaped Custody in St. Lucia Sentenced in US
ATLANTA – A Jamaican national Orville Andrew Pernell, who escaped custody in St. Lucia while awaiting extradition on a murder charge, was sentenced to federal prison in the United States earlier this week.
The 33-year-old was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm while in the US without legal status.
District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson sentenced Pernell to 33 months in federal prison.
US authorities say Pernell is expected to be extradited to St. Lucia after serving his sentence.
In a statement US Attorney Theodore S. Hertberg said Pernell had escaped custody twice in the Caribbean after being charged with murder, entered the United States under a false identity, and repeatedly endangered communities through the possession of stolen and high-powered firearms.
The local authorities in St Lucia were working with US officials to extradite Pernell, who had been arrested in Savannah, Georgia, by ICE Homeland Security investigators and ATF agents.
Pernell had been accused of murdering Cleus Alfred of Trouya, Gros Islet. Alfred’s body was discovered on August 25, 2020, after residents reported hearing gunshots. Pernell was formally charged on October 8, 2020.
While being held at the Babonneau Police Station pending extradition to St. Lucia from Jamaica, Pernell escaped from custody on December 1, 2021. Authorities said he used a sharp object to cut through steel bars before fleeing with three other detainees.
After escaping to Jamaica, Pernell was recaptured on July 14, 2021, by the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Fugitive Apprehension Team, but later escaped custody again.
US Border Patrol agents first encountered Pernell on December 7, 2022, near San Ysidro, California, after he attempted to enter the country using the alias “Oneil Christopher Reid.” He was later released into the United States pending immigration proceedings.
In July 2023, Pernell was arrested after authorities allegedly found him in possession of a stolen motorcycle and a stolen 9mm handgun.
He also faced charges for evading police, speeding, driving without a licence, and receiving stolen property. He posted bail and was released less than two months later.
Authorities arrested Pernell again on April 4, 2025. During a search of his Hinesville, Georgia residence, agents reportedly recovered another stolen handgun and an assault rifle fitted with a loaded high-capacity magazine.
On February 11, 2026, Pernell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
Federal officials also alleged that while in custody, Pernell repeatedly damaged the walls of his detention cell in an apparent escape attempt.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd of the ATF Atlanta Division said the case underscored ATF’s role in tracing illegal firearms, disrupting trafficking networks, and removing dangerous offenders from communities.
“This case highlights ATF’s critical role in tracing illegal firearms, disrupting trafficking networks, and ensuring dangerous offenders are removed from our communities,” Todd said.
Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said Pernell would ultimately be returned to Saint Lucia to face the murder charge.
“No one who flees justice abroad and threatens public safety in the United States will escape accountability,” Schrank said
