Sanjay Kaushik, a 58-year-old Indian national from Delhi, has been sentenced to 30 months in a U.S. federal prison for conspiring to illegally export controlled aviation components to Russia. The sentencing, which took place in Portland, Oregon, also includes 36 months of supervised release following his prison term.

Kaushik's scheme involved acquiring aerospace components from a supplier based in Oregon, including an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), a device crucial for providing navigation and flight control data for aircraft. These components require a license from the Department of Commerce for export to certain countries, including Russia. To bypass this requirement, Kaushik and his co-conspirators misrepresented his Indian company as the end user, falsely claiming the components were destined for civilian helicopters. In reality, the equipment was intended for Russian entities.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, Kaushik orchestrated a profit-driven scheme, repeatedly attempting to circumvent U.S. export controls in coordination with foreign co-conspirators, including sanctioned Russian entities. The AHRS components were ultimately intercepted before they could be illegally transferred out of the United States.

U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford emphasized the severity of Kaushik's actions, stating that he "sought, on multiple occasions, to undermine safeguards critical to U.S. national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain". Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg added that those who attempt to circumvent U.S. export laws, especially for technologies with military applications, will be held accountable. He affirmed that "The security of the United States demands that perpetrators of deceitful schemes like this one are held accountable for their actions".

Kaushik was initially arrested in Florida in October 2024 and has remained in custody since then. In October 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell dual-use aviation technology to Russian end users, violating the Export Control Reform Act. The case highlights the ongoing efforts by the U.S. to enforce export control laws and prevent the illegal transfer of sensitive technologies to countries like Russia.