Portland Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

A Portland man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, federal prosecutors announced.

James Paul Arnold, 55, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, law enforcement arrested Arnold in May 2024 after finding him in possession of $8,490 in cash, a loaded handgun, a digital scale, crack cocaine, a container containing methamphetamine residue, a large plastic bag containing methamphetamine and smaller plastic bags.

The total weight of the methamphetamine, including packaging, was 2,261.8 grams.

Law enforcement also searched Arnold’s residence that day. In his bedroom, investigators found a container containing 72 grams of suspected methamphetamine shards and residue, along with multiple other containers containing suspected methamphetamine residue, a money counter and a loaded handgun.

Elsewhere in the residence, investigators found a stolen AR-15 rifle, a semiautomatic handgun, a ballistic vest and another firearm.

Arnold pleaded guilty on May 6, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The investigation was conducted by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Keefer, Kate Rochat and Julia Jarrett prosecuted the case.

The case was handled as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and other public safety partners to address violent crime and related public safety concerns.