Ohio mosque received donations from trucking firms cited for safety violations

A mosque under construction in the small southwest Ohio village of Maineville has drawn scrutiny over its financial ties to trucking companies that have been cited for serious safety and compliance violations. A Fox News Digital review found that the Islamic Center of Maineville received substantial donations from several of these firms, which are owned by Uzbek nationals, and that the mosque's own Telegram channel displayed associations with people identified as current or former Uzbek officials.

The mosque sits about one mile north of the main intersection in Maineville, a Warren County village of roughly 1,400 residents. Construction has been under way for about four years, following the township's approval in April 2022. The mosque's Telegram channel, which has about 3,600 members, has for years solicited donations, acknowledged partnerships with trucking companies and shared screenshots of gifts from local trucking businesses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Among the donors is Buraq Limited, a Springboro trucking company associated with Rukhshona Sultonova, which gave at least $28,000 across 28 gifts, according to Telegram screenshots reviewed by Fox News Digital. Records for the company show dozens of reported violations, including English-proficiency violations, electronic logging device violations, invalid commercial driver's license violations, expired medical cards and hours-of-service violations. Premier Trucking Group Inc., owned by Sam Avazov, has received more than 100 violations, including for unsafe driving and invalid licenses, and has donated at least $25,000 to the mosque. In September, the Islamic Center posted a screenshot of a $1,000 gift from that company.

Foko Logistics LLC, owned by Abubakr Olimov and based in Hilliard, gave $20,000 in a single gift. Federal records show 52 violations across 37 inspections in the current 24-month period, including damaged brake hoses, an inoperable tractor-protection valve and severely underinflated tires. Ten of its 24 vehicle inspections resulted in an out-of-service designation, a rate of 41.7 percent. Maca Transportation and Services LLC, based in Dayton and owned by Muminkhuja Kholkhujaev, donated at least $7,000 across eight gifts. Federal records show 120 violations across 72 inspections, and 14 of 36 vehicle inspections resulted in out-of-service designations, or 38.9 percent.

Phoenix Cargo, which gave $150,000 and helped organize fundraising, told Fox News Digital that the mosque approached the company several times for donations. The company said the $150,000 it ultimately gave « represents only a fraction of the mosque's total construction budget » and that it is « not even among the project's top 100 donors ». Phoenix Cargo has been cited hundreds of times for safety violations, including English proficiency, electronic logging device tampering and unsafe driving.

Fox News Digital reached out to the mosque for comment but did not receive a response. Earlier this month, the Islamic Center said it is « committed to operating responsibly and in accordance with applicable law ». The mosque's website states that it does not solicit donations from any foreign government, organization or individual, and that any such attempt should be reported to the mosque immediately. Its Telegram account, however, suggests close ties to the government of Uzbekistan, particularly where trucking companies are concerned.

An online researcher who lives in the area and has documented alleged trucking fraud in southwest Ohio for months, and who was granted anonymity after receiving death threats, said the donations are troubling. « The fundraising for the Islamic Center concerns me because a large percentage of the Uzbek truck companies that donate have been repeatedly cited for the same kinds of serious inspection violations », the researcher said. « Those violations suggest a pattern of non-compliance with our laws and regulations among the donors, which is troubling given the community's concentration in the freight industry in Maineville. »

The reporting also raised questions about a Telegram administrator using the name « Bek A ». Fox News Digital asked the mosque whether that account belongs to Bekhzod Asrarov, an Uzbek truck driver living in Maineville whom authorities say struck and killed 21-year-old Ohio soccer player Tobias « Toby » Forsythe earlier this year. Authorities say Asrarov was unable to communicate effectively in English at the scene and have accused him of removing and concealing his dashcam after the crash. The mosque did not respond to that question.

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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