UMVA has learned that the owner of a Brooklyn coffee shop that sparked outrage with a scathing attack on Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., over his support for Israel is now facing a multitude of serious issues, including tax and health code problems.
The coffee shop, Poetica Coffee, and its owner, Parviz Mukhamadkulov, have come under intense scrutiny after publicly targeting Goldman, a Jewish lawmaker and outspoken supporter of Israel, with a now-deleted social media post that called him a "genocide enabler" and claimed that his money likely came from AIPAC.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Mukhamadkulov has a history of making inflammatory and anti-Israel comments on social media, including boasting about supporting a socialist mayor and celebrating the death of an Israel Defense Forces combat engineer.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Mukhamadkulov contributed $35 to the campaign of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who has been embroiled in controversy over a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest.
The revelations come as Poetica Coffee faces a Justice Department civil rights probe into its treatment of Goldman, with the agency launching an investigation into potential wrongdoing.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Poetica Coffee and Mukhamadkulov owe New York State hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, according to records.
Further, one of the company's locations in Brooklyn has faced health code violations each year since 2023, including recent citations for "filth flies" inside the restaurant and a sewage disposal system that was deemed "not provided, improper, inadequate or unapproved."
The restaurant was also hit with violations for failing to store pesticides or other toxic chemicals properly, and for evidence of rats or live rats in establishment's food or non-food areas.
Mukhamadkulov, who has shared far-left messages on his social media account, deleted his account on Tuesday, with several posts archived by a news organization.
In a reply to a post by a conservative actor, he boasted about supporting a socialist mayor and made racist comments, showcasing a troubling pattern of behavior.
The controversy surrounding Poetica Coffee and Mukhamadkulov continues to grow, with many calling for accountability and answers.
