2 min read

FARMINGTON – An immigrant who had been living in Rangeley pleaded guilty to felony unlawful sexual contact in a Farmington court Friday.

Abdilahi “Shakur” Abdi is believed to be 19, although authorities say they are unsure of Abdi’s background due to of conflicting identification documents.

He had been living in Rangeley since the summer of 2002, attended the Rangeley Lakes Regional School from September through December of 2002 starring as an offensive standout on the boys varsity soccer team and quickly becoming popular among the students.

In early 2003, Adbi moved to Bangor to take part in the Job Corps program there.

Last May, allegations surfaced from an 18-year-old Rangeley girl who told local police Abdi had forced her to have sex multiple times between June and September of 2002.

She also alleged Abdi, who had been living with her for a short time, threatened her with a tire iron and warned her not to go to police.

In late July, a judge ruled there was probable cause to proceed with a trial in the case, but this week, Abdi consented to a plea agreement.

At Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington on Friday, Abdi pleaded guilty to Class C felony unlawful sexual contact based on compulsion, meaning the contact was unwanted by the victim.

Meanwhile, three counts of Class A felony gross sexual assault against Abdi were dropped as was a felony Class C count for criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

Abdi’s victim was at the sentencing, although she declined to address the court because it would be too difficult.

Instead, she had assistant district attorney Andrew Robinson read a written statement to Justice Joseph Jabar, in which she said she never wanted to see Abdi again and she hoped no one else was ever hurt by him, Robinson said.

Jabar sentenced Abdi to 364 days in the Maine State Prison minus the 119 days he has already served in the county prison since his initial arrest in May.

He must also submit to two years probation, during which he may have no contact with the victim or her family; he must go through sex offender treatment and attend anger management counseling.

He must also register as a sexually violent predator for the rest of his life in the country.

However, because Abdi, a Somali refugee, is an immigrant living in the United States, his arrest means that he will be taken to a federal holding facility in Connecticut where he will be held on a federal detainer.

There, federal immigration officials will decide whether his conviction as a felon is cause for Abdi’s refugee status to be revoked and for him to be deported out of the country.

Comments are no longer available on this story