Inside Trump’s Favorite Gas Station Chain: Fuel Theft Judgments and Political Ties Behind ‘Freedom Fuel’

The White House’s enthusiastic promotion of the Freedom Fuel Network—a newly launched chain of patriotic-themed gas stations offering fuel at a heavily discounted $3.47 per gallon—has turned the spotlight onto a complex web of operators, some of whom carry a history of serious legal judgments.

While President Donald Trump celebrated the discount as a victory for American consumers, public records paint a highly unconventional picture of the business venture. The chain, registered through the Delaware Division of Corporations on June 23, is tied to a disparate group of individuals, including a professional football coach, a prominent political fundraiser, and two brothers dogged by allegations of fraud, trademark infringement, and fuel theft.

State and federal court records show that 14 of the network’s 25 locations are linked to companies associated with Shamikh Kazmi and Syed Kazmi. In February, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered the Kazmi brothers to pay more than $600,000 to a fuel supplier. The supplier accused the brothers of exploiting a security lapse to unlawfully cart away over 230,000 gallons of fuel over a ten-day period in August 2021. According to court filings, the supplier has yet to receive the mandated payment.

This is not the only legal challenge the brothers have faced. Two years ago, Syed Kazmi was hit with a $380,000 judgment in a lawsuit filed by 7-Eleven, which accused him of dishonest and unethical conduct at a franchise in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The convenience store giant cited unsanitary conditions, including rodent infestations, and noted that tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes ordered on credit had gone missing. Additionally, in 2022, a federal judge held a company run by Shamikh Kazmi in contempt for failing to remove BP America branding from a station long after their business relationship had ended, prompting the court to authorize U.S. Marshals to assist in removing the signs.

Incorporation documents filed in Delaware—a state widely recognized for its corporate secrecy laws that allow entities to obscure ownership details—list Randy Brown and Yoni Gontownik as the individuals who formed the company. Brown is a senior special teams coach for the Baltimore Ravens and the former Republican mayor of Evesham Township, New Jersey. Gontownik is a former commodities investment director and a political fundraiser active with the pro-Israel political action committee NORPAC.

The first station in the network opened in Dresher, Pennsylvania, on a property owned by a subsidiary of Blue Owl Capital, an investment firm in which Trump previously held up to $25 million in stock. Trump’s most recent financial disclosures indicate he has since divested nearly all of those shares. While the White House denied any direct financial involvement, funding, or subsidies for the discounted fuel, officials acknowledged having discussions with the individuals who established the network.

The promotional pricing of $3.47 per gallon—a nod to Trump’s status as the 47th president—initially drew massive crowds. However, energy retail experts suggest such prices are unsustainable. Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores, noted that retail fuel margins are notoriously thin, and such deep discounts are typically short-lived marketing tactics designed to make a splash. Indeed, prices at several network locations have already begun to climb, with a station in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, recently selling regular gasoline for $3.82 a gallon.

Despite the scrutiny, the company posted a statement on its website thanking Trump for his endorsement, asserting that the network is proudly focused on lowering prices to benefit local communities.