A Jamaican man who reportedly escaped custody twice while facing a murder charge in St Lucia has been sentenced to prison in the United States on federal firearms charges.
He has been identified as 33-year-old Orville Andrew Pernell of St Mary. US authorities said Pernell was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
According to prosecutors, Pernell was charged with murder in St Lucia in October 2020 but escaped custody while awaiting trial. He was later captured in Jamaica in July 2021; however, authorities said he escaped a second time while awaiting extradition to St Lucia.
Investigators reported that Pernell later entered the United States illegally using the alias “Oneil Christopher Reid” after being intercepted near the California-Mexico border.
Authorities eventually located him in Georgia during a multinational investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He was arrested in April 2025.
During a search of his residence, investigators reportedly seized stolen firearms, including an assault-style rifle fitted with a loaded high-capacity magazine. Court documents also stated that Pernell had previously been arrested in Georgia after deputies allegedly found another stolen firearm during a traffic stop.
US officials said Pernell will face removal and extradition proceedings after completing his prison sentence in the United States. The murder charge in St Lucia remains pending.
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