Uzbek Ties and Trucking Violations Raise Safety Concerns at Ohio Mosque

Clear Facts

• Multiple Uzbek-owned trucking companies cited for repeated safety and compliance violations have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Islamic Center of Maineville.
• FMCSA records show some donor companies with out-of-service rates above 38 percent and violations including English proficiency, brake defects, and hours-of-service failures.
• Telegram posts from the mosque and related Uzbek groups show ties to current and former officials from the government of Uzbekistan.

The Islamic Center of Maineville has received large donations from Uzbek-owned trucking companies operating in southwest Ohio.

Many of these firms have accumulated dozens of safety violations documented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

“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,” said Nodawolf, an area researcher who tracks the companies.

Records show Buraq Limited donated at least $28,000 to the mosque and logged multiple English-proficiency, ELD, and hours-of-service violations.

Premier Trucking Group, which gave $25,000, has more than 100 violations including unsafe driving and invalid CDLs.

“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,” said Ohio state Rep. Michelle Teska. “So that, to me, common sense says that’s insanity.”

Foko Logistics donated $20,000 and had 10 of 24 vehicle inspections result in out-of-service orders.

Maca Transportation gave $7,000 and posted a 38.9 percent out-of-service rate on its inspections.

“It’s disproportionate to what we see with any other immigrant community,” Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell told Fox News Digital.

Telegram posts reviewed by Fox News Digital show the mosque and the Hamkor Uz Cincinnati Association maintaining contact with Uzbek government officials.

Photos posted on the mosque channel depict a delegation from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies visiting the area in April 2025.

“Given the documented safety and compliance problems in many of these companies, it’s reasonable to ask whether gaps in U.S. regulations are being systematically exploited,” Nodawolf added.

Local residents say they have raised concerns with elected officials but have seen little action.

State Rep. Teska has introduced legislation requiring commercial-driver tests to be given only in English.

“This is our motherland now, from now on,” Hamkor Uz board member Nodirjon Ernazarov said in a recent interview.

Ernazarov owns Ray Cargo Corp., a trucking company that has also donated to the mosque and received safety citations.

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