Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and for using a firearm in furtherance of that crime.

According to court records, Muktar Abshir Aden, 27, sold drugs to law enforcement confidential sources and undercover officers on six occasions in 2024, culminating in an October 2024 search of his residence. Investigators recovered nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine and two kilograms of fentanyl, in addition to at least five firearms, one of which had previously been reported stolen.

Aden faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and up to life imprisonment; up to a $10 million fine; and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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