An Indian national has been jailed in the US for 30 months for a “calculated” conspiracy to export manned aircraft components and a navigation and flight control system to end users in Russia.
Sanjay Kaushik, 58, of Delhi, violated the Export Control Reform Act in Portland, Oregon and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and 36 months of supervised release, according to the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
Deputy Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said those who “plan to circumvent US export control laws,” especially when it involves technology with military applications, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “The security of the United States requires that the perpetrators of fraudulent schemes like this be held accountable for their actions.”
“There was no lapse in judgment,” said US Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E Bradford. “It was a calculated, profit-driven scheme involving repeated transactions, substantial profits and coordination with foreign co-conspirators, including sanctioned Russian entities.”
Bradford said Kaushik has on numerous occasions sought to undermine safeguards important to America’s national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain.
What happened:
According to court documents, in early September 2023, Kaushik conspired with others to illegally obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia.
“The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were intended for Russian end users,” the company said.
In one such case, the Justice Department said, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased the Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), a device that provides navigation and flight data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier.
Components such as the AHRS require a Department of Commerce license to export to certain countries, including Russia.
To obtain an export license for AHRS, according to court documents, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the ultimate buyer and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter.
They allegedly obtained AHRS, which the Justice Department said it eventually seized from export from the United States on behalf of and with the intention of sending it through India to a customer in Russia.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida on 17 October 2024 on a criminal complaint and warrant and has remained in custody since then.
On 9 October 2025, Kaushik pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to sell dual-use civil-military aircraft components to end users in Russia.