Portlander Lyle Justin Schirm, 35, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and five years supervised release after he was caught shipping a handgun and ammunition to the United Kingdom and possessing a pound of methamphetamine in his residence. Schirm also told investigators he learned about shipping firearms to the U.K. by watching a video on YouTube. Home Land Security investigators later confirmed Schirm did not have a license to ship a firearm to the U.K.
This case resolved two separate criminal cases. According to court documents, in November 2020, law enforcement authorities in the U.K. notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about a FedEx parcel shipped from Portland to the U.K. containing a 9mm handgun and ammunition. When interviewed by U.S. law enforcement, Schirm admitted to shipping the firearm.
This was more than just about a firearm. On November 5, 2020, as part of a separate drug trafficking investigation, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant on Schirm’s northeast Portland apartment. During their search of Schirm’s residence, investigators located what appeared to be a small laboratory used to make counterfeit Xanax pills. In addition, they located and seized two firearms, ammunition, over $14,000 in cash, and approximately one pound of methamphetamine.
It all came to a head in court. On March 9, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Schirm with smuggling goods from the U.S. In onky one month afterwards, on April 6, 2021, he was indicted a second time for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a trademark die, criminal attempt to manufacture adulterated and misbranded drugs, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had previously notified DEA that Schirm was receiving international shipments of items used to manufacture counterfeit prescription pills. On May 24, 2022, Schirm pleaded guilty to smuggling goods from the U.S. and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
