Full Breakdown
Uzbek-Owned Trucking Firms Fund Mosque Construction in Rural Ohio Amid Safety-Violation Concerns
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The Islamic Center of Maineville, approved in April 2022 by Hamilton Township, is being financed largely by donations from Uzbek-owned trucking firms. Fox News Digital’s review of Telegram posts and federal safety records shows at least six firms—Buraq Limited, Premier Trucking Group Inc., Foko Logistics LLC, Maca Transportation and Services LLC, Phoenix Cargo, and Ray Cargo Corp.—have contributed between $7,000 and $150,000 each, totaling “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for the project.
Background & Context
Hamkor Uz Cincinnati, a nonprofit founded in 2020 to unite Uzbek residents of the Cincinnati area, owns the 6.7-acre site. Its Telegram channel lists former Uzbek officials such as Erkinbay Abdulla and Sukhrob Norbekov as participants in the fundraising effort. An April 19 IT conference hosted by Hamkor Uz invited truck-company managers, linking the community’s commercial-driver network directly to the mosque’s development.
Data & Statistics
- Donations: Buraq Limited – $28,000; Premier Trucking Group – $25,000+; Foko Logistics – $20,000; Maca Transportation – $7,000; Phoenix Cargo – $150,000 (claimed “fraction” of total budget).
- Safety violations (FMCSA): Buraq Limited – multiple English-proficiency, ELD, CDL, medical-card, and hours-of-service violations; Premier Trucking Group – >100 violations for unsafe driving and invalid CDLs; Foko Logistics – 52 violations across 37 inspections; Maca Transportation – 120 violations across 72 inspections, with 14 out-of-service designations (38.9%); Phoenix Cargo – cited “hundreds of times” for English-proficiency, ELD tampering, and unsafe driving.
Official Statements & Responses
Hamilton Township police described a recent “targeted traffic enforcement initiative” focused on commercial motor vehicles and said enforcement of applicable laws will continue.
On-the-Ground Reports
Local residents reported Uzbek drivers unfamiliar with English and traffic rules. One witness said a semi-truck driver at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles replied, “no, I don’t speak English” when asked about his license. Community members expressed fear of being labeled Islamophobic for raising safety concerns, noting their complaints to elected officials have been largely ignored.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The mosque did not respond to requests for comment on the donation records. Its Telegram channel lists “Bek A” as an administrator; authorities have linked the name to Bekhzod Asrarov, an Uzbek driver accused of a fatal crash and alleged dash-cam tampering, though the mosque’s relationship to Asrarov remains unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I did some research and basically found out that you can get your driver's license and your CDL license in the state of Ohio and you can have that test in 10 different languages,” — Rep. Michelle Teska
- “So that, to me, common sense says that's insanity.” — Rep. Michelle Teska
- “It's disproportionate to what we see with any other immigrant community,” — County Prosecutor David Fornshell