LEWISTON — City councilor and former School Committee member Iman Osman was arraigned Wednesday in Androscoggin County District Court on theft charges.

Osman pleaded not guilty to a count of theft by receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

The charges stem from the alleged theft of two firearms between November 2023 and October 2024. Osman was indicted Oct. 1, 2025.

A social worker and executive director of the Lewiston Auburn Youth Network, Osman was nominated to the Lewiston School Committee in 2024 by Mayor Carl Sheline and confirmed by the City Council.

He was elected as Ward 5’s city councilor in November, and was sworn in Monday against calls to resign over the theft charges, including from Sheline, as well as public scrutiny of his legal address at 210 Blake St. The building was condemned after a drug raid by local police in October 2024. 

Through attorneys, Osman has said he intends to return to the address when renovations are complete, but has not disclosed where he is staying or established a timeline for his return. 

On Monday, fellow city councilors voted to hire an independent investigator to look into Osman’s residency.

Osman’s attorney, Allan Lobozzo, declined to make an official statement Wednesday, but did question the state’s timing.

“It took the state a long time, over a year, to indict, which makes me question the quality of their evidence,” Lobozzo said.