Disgraced Former Lewiston Councilor Iman Osman Returns to Court Wednesday as Gun-Theft Case Moves Forward

Disgraced former Lewiston City Councilor Iman Osman is scheduled to return to Lewiston District Court on Wednesday, June 17, as the criminal case that ended his brief tenure on the City Council moves toward a possible trial.

Osman’s next reported court appearance is expected to be a docket call, according to WMTW, meaning the hearing is not expected to be the trial itself. Instead, it will likely be used by the court to determine where the case stands, whether the prosecution and defense are ready to move forward, and whether a trial date should be scheduled.

The hearing is expected to take place at Lewiston District Court, located at 71 Lisbon Street in Lewiston. A confirmed public time was not immediately available in the sources reviewed. The Lewiston District Court clerk’s office can be reached at 207-795-4800.

Osman was indicted by an Androscoggin County grand jury in December on charges of receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized taking. The charges are connected to firearms or explosive devices allegedly obtained from two different estates between Nov. 15, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2024.

Osman has pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations.

The criminal charges came shortly after Osman was elected to represent Ward 5 on the Lewiston City Council. Despite the indictment, he was sworn into office in January. Less than 72 hours later, he resigned amid mounting pressure from city officials and residents.

The charges were not the only controversy surrounding Osman’s brief time in office.

At the same time, Osman faced serious questions about whether he lived in the ward he had been elected to represent. His listed address drew scrutiny after reports that it was tied to a condemned property. The Lewiston City Council voted to investigate his residency qualifications, with Osman casting the lone vote against the inquiry.

In his resignation letter, Osman said he had faced “vicious personal attacks” and claimed he had been the target of “racist opposition.” His attorney also suggested broader national rhetoric surrounding Somali and Somali-American communities contributed to the backlash.

But for critics in Lewiston, the issue was more basic: whether an elected official facing felony charges and residency questions could credibly serve the public.

Before winning his City Council seat, Osman had served on the Lewiston School Committee and was known as the executive director of the Lewiston Auburn Youth Network. The Lewiston Auburn Youth Network to $65,000 from the Lewiston Shooting Fund, even thought they were affected by the tragic shooting and have failed to provide what they did with the money.

Wednesday’s docket call could determine the next major step in the case.

A docket call is generally a scheduling and status hearing. It gives the judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys a chance to review whether the case is ready for trial, whether any legal motions remain unresolved, whether discovery or witness issues need to be addressed, and whether the case may be resolved through a plea agreement.

In a criminal case, the most common outcomes at a docket call include the scheduling of a trial date, a continuance to another court date, discussion of a possible plea agreement, or the handling of pending motions and procedural issues.

A final verdict or sentence would not normally be expected at a docket call unless Osman were to enter a plea or some other major agreement were reached in court.

The most likely outcome Wednesday is that the court either sets a future trial date or schedules another status hearing while the case remains pending.