Federal prosecutors say two Portland men are facing federal charges after police moved in on suspected meth dealing in and around subsidized housing, including one bust at Musolf Manor and another near the Lents neighborhood. William Andrew Fleming‑Davis, 39, and Edward Mortenson, 55, were arrested in late April after officers reported finding drugs, weapons and bulk cash. The cases were handed off to the FBI and are now working their way through federal court.
According to criminal complaints filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Fleming‑Davis is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mortenson is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Prosecutors say Fleming‑Davis was stopped on April 25 after a community tip about a man dealing near Lents, and officers reported recovering meth, nearly $600 in cash, multiple knives, brass knuckles, a firearm and drug paraphernalia. They say Mortenson was arrested on April 29 at Musolf Manor after video allegedly showed him dropping meth on the ground; a later search of his apartment reportedly turned up the six baggies seized at the scene and more than 370 grams of methamphetamine, along with bulk cash. The FBI and Portland Police Bureau are investigating, and Mortenson was ordered detained after his first federal appearance, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon.
Local coverage from FOX 12 showed prosecutor‑provided photos of the seized drugs, cash and weapons, and reported that officers recovered six baggies and more than $300 from Mortenson at the time of his arrest, along with nearly $600 from Fleming‑Davis during the Lents stop. FOX 12 also noted that images include the firearm and other weapons investigators say were taken from Fleming‑Davis. The station reported that Fleming‑Davis remains in custody on prior state charges while the federal investigation continues, as reported by FOX 12.
Legal implications
Federal possession‑with‑intent charges fall under 21 U.S.C. § 841 and can carry substantial penalties that depend on drug quantity and a defendant’s criminal history, while possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense is charged under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) and brings mandatory minimum prison terms. See 21 U.S.C. § 841 via Cornell Law School and 18 U.S.C. § 924 via Cornell Law School for the statutory language and penalty structure. In its announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office underscored that “a criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Why it matters
Prosecutors and local task forces have been ramping up coordinated enforcement around open‑air drug markets and housing sites after a run of large regional seizures in recent years. For context, Multnomah County task forces and federal partners uncovered one of the area’s biggest hauls in 2025 in what Hoodline described as the county’s largest drug bust, a backdrop that helps explain why officials say work around housing complexes is a priority. The federal complaints in the current Portland cases will proceed in U.S. District Court, where prosecutors say additional filings and hearings are expected.
Mortenson remains detained, and Fleming‑Davis is being held on separate state charges while the federal proceedings continue. Prosecutors are expected to lay out more of their evidence at upcoming pretrial hearings in U.S. District Court in Portland as the cases move forward.
