Lewiston Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession

Lewiston’s Kulmiye Abukar Idris, 35, stood in U.S. District Court in Portland on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stem from an incident in January 2025 when Lewiston police stopped his vehicle for traffic violations and discovered a handgun. Idris’s prior felony conviction for gross sexual assault had stripped him of the right to own or possess a firearm.

Idris now faces up to 15 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release for three years after his sentence is determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors. The U.S. Probation Office will conduct a presentence investigative report before sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lewiston Police Department, with assistance from the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative efforts between law enforcement and communities.

Project Safe Neighborhoods was reinforced in 2021 with a strategy to foster trust, support community-based organizations, set strategic enforcement priorities, and measure results. For more information on the initiative, visit Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Idris’s guilty plea highlights the ongoing efforts to crack down on gun-related offenses and protect the public from violent felons. His sentence will be decided by a federal judge after considering all relevant legal factors.

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