A Lewiston man previously convicted of gross sexual assault pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Portland on Tuesday to illegally possessing a firearm despite his prior felony conviction.
Lewiston Police were conducting a routine stop for a multiple traffic violation in January when they searched the vehicle, driven by Kulmiye Abukar Idris, 35, of Lewiston, and discovered a handgun.
Idris was previously convicted for felony gross sexual assault, and thus prohibited from owning a firearm.
According to court records, Idris and a female friend attended a party at another friend’s house in 2022. During the party, the female victim, who had no prior romantic relation with Idris, consumed 12 drinks, and went upstairs to bed.
She awoke to Idris raping her, and, when she demanded that he stop, he refused. She reported the incident to police, and Idris was eventually convicted in February 2024, and sentenced to eight-years in prison, with all but four suspended, and four years of probation.
He appealed the conviction, and his appeal was eventually heard by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court which upheld the judgement .
It is unclear why Idris was free at the time of his arrest in January, when he was sentenced to serve four years in prison starting in February 2024. He apparently served under a year in prison.
For his latest conviction, Idris faces up to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $250,000 fine.
According to Mugshots.com, a site dedicated to compiling criminal data, Idris was arrested in 2016 for driving under the influence, though The Maine Wire could not independently verify that information.
