A man from Delhi, India, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to illegally export aviation components from Oregon to Russia. Sanjay Kaushik, 58, was convicted for his role in a scheme that involved obtaining controlled aerospace goods and technology from the United States under false pretenses and attempting to send them to Russian entities.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford stated, “This was no lapse in judgment. It was a calculated, profit-driven scheme involving repeated transactions, substantial gains, and coordination with foreign co-conspirators, including sanctioned Russian entities. This defendant sought, on multiple occasions, to undermine safeguards critical to U.S. national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain.”
Court documents reveal that starting in September 2023, Kaushik conspired with others to acquire aviation equipment by claiming it would be supplied to his Indian company. However, the real destination was Russia. In one case, Kaushik and his associates purchased an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) from an Oregon supplier—a device requiring a Department of Commerce license for export to certain countries such as Russia. They falsely claimed the AHRS would be used in a civilian helicopter by Kaushik’s Indian company. The component was detained before it could leave the United States.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami on October 17, 2024, following a criminal complaint and warrant. He has remained in custody since then.
On November 20, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Kaushik on three counts related to violating the Export Control Reform Act and Export Administration Regulations—specifically for attempting illegal export of navigation and flight control systems from Oregon through India to Russia and making false statements regarding exports.
Kaushik pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, admitting he conspired to sell export-controlled aviation components with both civilian and military applications intended for Russian end users.
The sentencing announcement came from Scott E. Bradford; Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the National Security Division at the U.S. Department of Justice; and Special Agent in Charge Brent Burmester of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), San Jose Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by BIS Portland with support from Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution team included Gregory R. Nyhus (Assistant U.S. Attorney for Oregon) and Emma Ellenrieder (Trial Attorney at DOJ’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section).
