Once Incarcerated Himself, Ondo Faithfully Returns Each Monday
Published on July 01, 2026
How Chuck Ondo came to become the Allegheny County Jail 2026 Volunteer of the Year involved some opportune timing and a bit of serendipity.
Ondo, who is a veteran, businessman, barber, former Pennsylvania State Trooper and former incarcerated individual, was making a presentation to Allegheny County Veterans Court in 2024. ACJ Residential Placement Manager April Reynolds happened to be attending. She came back and told Deputy Warden for Programming Services Connie Clark that she didn’t know what role he would fill, but that Chuck should be at the jail.
“I thought they would just come in and meet our staff and maybe do some groups on the pod,” Reynolds said. “It definitely blossomed into something bigger than I would have imagined.”
Indeed, it has. What was initially supposed to be a one-time visit to the ACJ’s Veteran Housing Unit has now turned into more than 100 visits spanning nearly two years as Ondo has become a stalwart presence at the facility through his Semper Fi Mission.
“There’s no place I’d rather be on Monday morning,” Ondo said. “It’s my calling. I’m where God wanted me to be…He takes what the devil meant for evil, and He turns it for good.”
It has been a meandering and well-documented road for Ondo, a West Mifflin boy who joined the Marines after high school. He served for six years before he joined the Pennsylvania State Police where he worked undercover and helped bring Philadelphia mobster Joey Merlino to justice.
He also saw his first marriage unravel, began drinking heavily and was charged with tampering with evidence after using cocaine stored for investigation purposes. After admittedly “looking down” on drug users he arrested during his self-described personal “War on Drugs,” Ondo found himself literally on the other side of the fence.
“I went from controlling society to being perp-walked on the evening news,” he said.
Ondo was sentenced to two-to-four years and ended up serving nine months at SCI Laurel Highlands (where he first encountered current ACJ Warden Trevor Wingard, who was a sergeant there at the time).
Ondo got out, founded an asphalt business, got remarried and attempted to move on with his life. He became a barber and sold his asphalt business in 2009 before alcohol began to play a greater role in his life. He moved back to Pittsburgh to help care for his ailing father, then wound up spending time in and out of the Allegheny County Jail 2018. Finally, in 2021, he went to alcohol treatment at the Veterans Administration hospital for 90 days.
This time, the sobriety stuck. He found God while cutting his now-pastor’s hair, and the impact he’s made has been profound. In addition to running his barbershop, Valor Men’s Grooming, Ondo co-founded the Semper Fi Mission with fellow veteran and frequent ACJ visitor Ken Aquiline. The name for the mission, Semper Fi, a shortened version of the U.S. Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis” meaning “Always Faithful,” came to Ondo in a dream.
“I’ve always had a heart for people, even when I was a trooper,” he said. “(I) know what it feels like to hear that door slam… Even though I got 2-to-4 (years) and got out fairly quickly, I had no idea how long I was going to be there or what was going to happen.”
Aquiline and Ondo work together seamlessly. Aquiline’s background in politics lends expertise to the organization.
“Ken is on another level,” Ondo said. “His professionalism and knowledge – we just complement each other.”
Ondo brings guest speakers to the jail, often with lived experience either as veterans, incarcerated individuals, or both. He has spoken at jail functions like HOPE graduation and brings his own dose of hope to the proceedings, letting graduates know that their life doesn’t end just because of an incarceration.
“It’s not over,” Ondo said. “I want them to know (they) don’t have to come back here.”
The support Ondo and Aquiline offer incarcerated individuals through Semper Fi Mission doesn’t end when those people are released. In fact, that’s when things can really ramp up. The Mission addresses physical, mental and spiritual needs through a variety of ministries that help formerly incarcerated folks find jobs or housing, food or even free haircuts through a program called “PrayerCuts.”
“(Chuck) leverages his life experiences to offer guidance and hope to people who need it the most,” Clark said. “He has proven that with dedication and persistence, people can overcome challenges and be successful. His life reflects courage and an unwavering commitment to give back to those who are struggling.”
Ultimately, whether it was serendipity or Providence that Reynolds was in attendance that day, Ondo has made a significant impact in a fairly short time at the ACJ. In fact, after Clark shared that story at the Volunteer Banquet, Ondo sought Reynolds out and gave her credit.
“(He said), ‘Do you know how many lives you’ve changed? If you hadn’t come back and told Connie, we would never have come into the jail,’” Reynolds said. “I never thought about that. I just do my little part.”
And that – doing your own little part – is what makes Semper Fi and its role at the ACJ a success.
Media inquiries may be directed to Jesse Geleynse, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny County Jail
jesse.geleynse@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-350-1267 or 412-760-4760 (cell).