LINO LAKES, Minn. — Faraaz "Yussuf" Mohammed has been the focus of a lot of news coverage this year — most recently for suing the city of Lino Lakes for alleged religious discrimination after they paused his proposed Muslim-centric Madinah Lakes development.
But when KARE 11's story reporting that Faraaz was using an alias and didn't have a contractor's license made its way to Atlanta, it gave Alston Padgett of Whitco Roofing deja vu.
"It was sort of shocking that this is still going on," Padgett said.
Padgett sent KARE 11 News a recording of an 18-minute phone call in November 2022 between their Atlanta-based commercial roofing company and on the other line — Faraaz and his boss Kristy Workman from Oklahoma City-based Elite Force Building Supply calling to issue an apology.
Invoices show Whitco Roofing paid Elite Force Building Supply $606,000 during the supply-chain problems in the pandemic. Padgett said they used Elite Force Building Supply instead of their usual suppliers because Faraaz, a salesman for Elite, claimed they had a factory in Turkey that could ship right away.
The November 2022 phone call begins with Faraaz telling the Whitco Roofing CEO, "I have been, for a lack of another way to say it, been dishonest — both to the leadership of Elite Force Building Supply and to you and your team about the whereabouts of [the product]."
Faraaz goes on to say, "I, on multiple occasions, have fabricated stories as to where the product is and where it's going to be. And I want to apologize to you sincerely for that."
On the call, Faraaz and Workman — who are on the line together — admit Faraaz forged bills of lading and have spoken with law enforcement in more than one state.
"The police were notified yesterday. We have been on the phone and because it's in multiple states, it will probably be the FBI," Workman said. "Due to forged documents, massive misappropriation of funds and materials, Fazaaz is under investigation in the state of Oklahoma and in Florida," Workman said, adding that Whitco Roofing is not the only company involved.
Whitco Roofing's CEO Grant Whitney then responds, "I'll just be honest with you guys, that's why I was hoping you would just send me my money back because we've been working with the FBI for weeks."
A letter from the FBI office in Oklahoma City sent to Whitco Roofing states that they opened an investigation.
Whitney then reveals that his company has done its own digging and discovered the bills of lading that showed the ordered supplies were actually phony. At that point, Faraaz speaks up again:
"And sir, I will confirm that I am the one that's responsible for this, 100%. This is not anything to do with Kristy or with Matthew [Farmer, Elite Force's CEO]. I was the one that was responsible for it," Faraaz said.
The last word from Faraaz on the phone call: "I just wanted to apologize, sir, one more time. I'm not sure how I came down this path so far and I am trying to be fully cooperative as well and trying to make this right."
Before the call ends, Whitney tells Faraaz and Workman that he would not pursue charges if they would pay back the money. But Whitco officials say they have not received a dime. On the phone call Workman says the money was spent on business overhead.
"They never ordered the supplies. They never had the supplies. They never had a factory that could make the supplies," said Padgett, Whitco's CFO.
The aspect of the Lino Lakes case that concerns the Atlanta roofing company the most is that Faraaz was taking deposits for people wanting to live in the Madinah Lakes development before his company Zikar Holdings even owned the land.
"It's a bit frustrating that they haven't been stopped," Padgett said.
Seven days after that November 2022 phone call, Faraaz filed a police report in Blaine where he had just moved back with his parents. According to the police report, Faraaz said he had a "falling out with his ex-business partner Matthew Farmer" and feared for his family's lives because of a threat.
When reached for comment, Farmer said the complaint was completely unfounded.
Faraaz Yussuf Mohammed did not respond KARE 11's requests for an interview.
A spokesperson for his company Zikar Holdings, Jon Austin, issued a statement:
“Mr. Mohammed is not aware of any investigation into his activities in Oklahoma or anywhere else. While he was employed for a period of time by the company you mentioned, he was not the subject of the civil suit or any criminal prosecution in connection with the company or its business practices.
“In fact, Mr. Mohammed’s last engagement with this company was seeking – and receiving – a court-mandated restraining order against one of its owners for his unrelenting and threatening harassment of Mr. Mohammed and his family.
“Any allegations to the contrary are false and defamatory and wholly without merit. Anyone propagating such malicious falsehoods is exposing themselves to legal actions for their reckless behavior.”