Two local residents have been charged with distributing methamphetamine at or near affordable housing complexes in Portland, according to a May 5 announcement by U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
The charges follow separate incidents involving William Andrew Fleming-Davis, 39, and Edward Mortenson, 55. Fleming-Davis faces charges of 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.
According to court documents, officers from the Portland Police Bureau East Precinct responded on April 25 to a tip about drug dealing near the Lents neighborhood. They stopped Fleming-Davis and found methamphetamine, nearly $600 in cash, several knives, brass knuckles, a firearm, and drug paraphernalia. In another case during April at Musolf Manor—a local affordable housing complex—officers observed Mortenson dropping methamphetamine on video surveillance. On April 29 officers arrested Mortenson after witnessing him trafficking narcotics; they seized six baggies containing methamphetamine and over $300 from him before executing a search warrant at his apartment that uncovered more than 370 grams of methamphetamine along with additional paraphernalia and bulk money from alleged sales.
Following their arrests, officers contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pursue federal prosecution for both defendants. Mortenson made his first appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge and was ordered detained pending further proceedings; Fleming-Davis remains held on prior state charges.
Bradford said: "A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." The FBI and Portland Police Bureau are investigating the cases while Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin is prosecuting them.
Scott Bradford has previously served as Chief of the White Collar Unit as well as Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section according to the official website. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon engages in community outreach efforts across Oregon according to its official website. The office maintains locations in Portland, Eugene, and Medford; it operates under the Department of Justice as one among ninety-three such offices nationwide employing one hundred seven staff members according to its official website. The office seeks justice by representing civil and criminal matters while fostering trust within the federal judicial system according to its official website.
