A late-night welfare check in East Portland on Tuesday turned into a sizable gun and drug bust after a single-car crash near Northeast 139th Avenue and East Burnside Street.
Officers arrived to find the driver slumped behind the wheel of a running car that had struck a cement mailbox. When efforts to wake him up did not work, they broke a window to safely detain him. The driver was identified as 34-year-old Cory S. Holland, who was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center.
According to a Portland Police Bureau press release, officers searching the vehicle seized three handguns, two unregistered short-barreled AR-15-style rifles, ammunition and drugs. The bureau said Holland is a convicted felon and was lodged on charges that include Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, five counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, two counts of Possession of an Illegal Weapon, Altering ID on a Firearm and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
"This arrest highlights the vigilance and professionalism of our officers," Chief Bob Day said in the release.
Legal penalties and federal rules
Under Oregon law, a person with a prior felony who possesses a firearm can be charged under ORS 166.270, which classifies felon in possession as a Class C felony. Short-barreled rifles are regulated at the federal level as National Firearms Act (NFA) items and typically must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Unlawful possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle can carry significant federal penalties. The Oregon Legislature and the ATF outline those prohibitions and penalties.
Portland enforcement in context
Seizures of guns and narcotics have appeared regularly in Portland Police Bureau updates over the past year. In September 2025, an operation yielded nearly $2 million worth of drugs and two firearms, as reported by KPTV. A June 2025 Portland Police Bureau release describes a street-takeover mission that resulted in multiple arrests and additional seizures.
The investigation into Tuesday's crash and the origin of the weapons and drugs is ongoing, the bureau said, and detectives continue to review evidence. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau's East Precinct or the bureau's public information office at [email protected]. No additional booking or court dates were released Tuesday evening.
