Uzbek-linked trucking firms fund rural Ohio mosque amid safety violation concerns
A new Islamic Center in Maineville, Ohio, has received sizable donations from several Uzbek-owned trucking companies that have been cited for numerous safety and compliance violations.
The Islamic Center of Maineville, a rural Ohio mosque being built on a 6.7-acre site owned by the Hamkor Uz Cincinnati Association, has attracted donations totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Uzbek-owned trucking firms, many of which carry multiple FMCSA violations for issues such as English-proficiency, electronic logging device tampering, and vehicle maintenance. Telegram messages from the mosque’s channel publicize these contributions and display ties to former Uzbek government officials, prompting local researcher Nodawolf to highlight a possible pattern of non-compliance.
Ohio Rep. Michelle Teska has introduced legislation to tighten commercial driver licensing, citing the prevalence of non-English-speaking drivers from Uzbekistan. Warren County police and prosecutor David Fornshell note a surge in Uzbek-related traffic cases but say no laws have been broken by the mosque’s fundraising. The mosque’s website denies soliciting foreign government money, yet its online presence suggests ongoing connections to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies and a delegation that visited the U.S. in April 2025.
Why it matters
The story reveals how foreign-linked businesses with safety violations are influencing local community projects and raising regulatory concerns.
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