A mosque under construction in Maineville, Ohio, has become the center of a local controversy after a Fox News Digital investigation linked its fundraising efforts to several trucking companies owned by Uzbek nationals. The report, part of a series examining trucking fraud and public safety in southwest Ohio, identified financial ties between the Islamic Center of Maineville, private trucking firms, and the government of Uzbekistan. The mosque, approved by Hamilton Township in April 2022, has been under construction for four years in a village of approximately 1,400 residents.
Fox News Digital reviewed Telegram posts from the mosque’s channel, which has 3,600 members, and found screenshots of donations from trucking companies. The review also noted associations with individuals identified as current or former Uzbek officials. The investigation highlights a pattern where companies donating to the mosque have accumulated significant safety and compliance violations with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
What the Left Is Saying
While the source material is primarily a conservative-leaning investigation, the perspective of those defending the mosque and the immigrant community focuses on religious freedom and the legality of the donations. The Islamic Center of Maineville stated it is "committed to operating responsibly and in accordance with applicable law." Community advocates often argue that contributions from immigrant-owned businesses are a normal part of civic and religious life, and that safety violations in the trucking industry are often attributed to systemic regulatory complexities rather than individual malice or fraud. The mosque did not respond to specific questions regarding the identity of a Telegram administrator linked to a fatal crash, maintaining a stance of operational compliance.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and local researchers view the financial links as indicative of a broader trend of "chameleon carriers"—trucking firms that cycle through ownership to evade safety regulations. Nodawolf, an anonymous online researcher documenting alleged fraud in the area, stated, "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." He argued that these 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 source article's title reflects concerns about cultural assimilation and foreign influence in local institutions.
What the Numbers Show
According to Fox News Digital's review of FMCSA records and Telegram screenshots, several trucking companies made substantial donations to the mosque despite facing numerous safety citations:
Phoenix Cargo donated $150,000 and helped organize the fundraising effort. The company has been cited hundreds of times for safety violations, including English proficiency, ELD tampering, and unsafe driving. Phoenix Cargo stated the donation "represents only a fraction of the mosque's total construction budget" and that "Phoenix Cargo is not even among the project's top 100 donors."
Buraq Limited, owned by Rukhshona Sultonova, donated at least $28,000 across 28 gifts. The company has dozens of reported violations, including multiple English-proficiency violations, four ELD violations, three invalid-CDL violations, four expired medical cards, and four hours-of-service violations.
Premier Trucking Group Inc., owned by Sam Avazov, donated at least $25,000, including a $1,000 gift in September. The company has received over 100 total violations, including unsafe driving and invalid CDLs.
Foko Logistics LLC, owned by Abubakr Olimov, donated $20,000 in a single gift. The company had 52 violations across 37 inspections, with 10 of its 24 vehicle inspections resulting in an out-of-service designation, a rate of 41.7%, due to issues like damaged brake hoses and severely underinflated tires.
Maca Transportation and Services LLC, owned by Muminkhuja Kholkhujaev, donated at least $7,000 across eight gifts. The company has 120 violations across 72 inspections, with 14 of 36 vehicle inspections resulting in an out-of-service designation, or 38.9%.
The Bottom Line
The intersection of religious fundraising and commercial trucking operations in Maineville has raised questions about regulatory oversight and community integration. The investigation links the mosque's construction funding to companies with high rates of safety violations, including issues with electronic logging devices, driver qualifications, and vehicle maintenance. While the mosque maintains its commitment to legal operation, the pattern of donations from firms with significant compliance records has fueled local debate over trucking fraud and foreign influence in small-town American communities. The investigation is ongoing, with Part 1 of the series previously detailing a fatal crash involving an Uzbek truck driver and a local resident.