PORTLAND — A Lewiston man charged in a major gun-running scheme admitted Monday in federal court to being a felon with a gun.

Lonnel “Cash” Diggs, 40, was facing seven felonies, including conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws and aiding and abetting false statements during acquisition of firearms from federal dealers.

After negotiating with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a maximum of three years on supervised release.

According to that agreement, Diggs will be allowed to appeal any sentence more severe than eight years in prison.

The remaining six charges will be dismissed at his successful sentencing, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen said.

Diggs appeared in court Monday in an orange jail suit, accompanied by federal marshals.

In 2022, Diggs was dealing crack cocaine to Jennifer Scruggs of Turner and her boyfriend in Lewiston, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer said in court documents.

Diggs, who also lived in California, had been convicted in Los Angeles of robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010.

For that reason, he was prohibited from having a gun.

In March 2022, Diggs and a another man who also lived in Lewiston and California proposed that Scruggs and her boyfriend buy guns for the two men in exchange for a combination of cash and crack cocaine, Sawyer said.

Scruggs agreed to the offer, Sawyer said.

Diggs and his co-defendant went to the Bucksport Gun Show in Orland where they picked out guns they wanted Scruggs and her boyfriend to buy for them and included texted photos of the three guns, Sawyer said.

After Diggs sent the photos, he gave the couple cash to buy the guns, Sawyer said.

Scruggs bought the guns at the Bucksport Gun Show with the money Diggs had given them and turned the guns over to Diggs, Sawyer said.

No sentencing date has been set.

Scruggs pleaded guilty in January to charges related to her involvement, but has not been sentenced.