Indian national sentenced to 30 months in Oregon for illegal export of aviation parts to Russia

Highlights:

• Indian national sentenced to 30 months in US federal prison
• Illegal exports involved aviation and flight control components
• Parts were falsely claimed to be for civilian use in India
• Scheme violated US export control and national security laws
• Defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in October

A 58-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in the United States for his role in a conspiracy to export controlled aviation components from Oregon to Russia illegally, US authorities announced this week.

Sanjay Kaushik, a resident of Delhi, was convicted of conspiring with others to unlawfully export sensitive materials, including aerospace technology, including a navigation and flight control system, to Russian end users. The exports violated the Export Control Reform Act, which regulates the transfer of US technologies with potential military applications.

Announcing the sentence, US Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott Bradford described Kaushik’s conduct as intentional and driven by personal profit. “It was a calculated, profit-driven scheme involving repeated transactions, substantial gains, and coordination with foreign co-conspirators, including sanctioned Russian entities,” Bradford said. “This defendant sought, on multiple occasions, to undermine safeguards critical to US national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain.”

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Kaushik to serve 36 months of supervised release following his incarceration.

US officials emphasized that violations of export control laws, particularly those involving dual-use technologies with military applications, will be aggressively prosecuted. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said Kaushik’s case underscored the seriousness of such offenses. “Those who scheme to circumvent US export control laws, especially when it involves technologies with military applications, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Eisenberg said. “The security of the United States demands that perpetrators of deceitful schemes like this one are held accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents, the conspiracy began in early September 2023. Kaushik and his co-conspirators worked to unlawfully acquire aerospace goods and technology from US suppliers for entities based in Russia. The purchases were made under the pretense that the items were intended for Kaushik and his India-based company.

Among the items obtained was an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), a sophisticated device that provides critical navigation and flight control data for aircraft. Such components require an export license from the US Department of Commerce when destined for certain countries, including Russia.

To secure the required license, Kaushik and his associates falsely stated that his Indian company was the end user and claimed the equipment would be installed in a civilian helicopter. Despite these misrepresentations, the AHRS was ultimately detained by authorities before it could be exported.

Kaushik was arrested in Miami in October 2024 following a criminal complaint and arrest warrant. He has remained in custody since his arrest. In November 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted him on multiple charges, including conspiracy, attempted illegal export, and making false statements to the US government.

In October last year, Kaushik pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell export-controlled aviation components with both civilian and military applications to Russian end users, bringing the case to its conclusion with this week’s sentencing.