PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has indicted Sanjay Kaushik, a 57-year-old from Delhi, India, on charges of conspiring and attempting to illegally export controlled aviation technology to Russia, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Kaushik is accused of conspiring to ship dual-use aviation components—technologies with both civilian and military applications—to Russian entities in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Among the items involved was a navigation and flight control system obtained from an Oregon supplier under allegedly false pretenses.
Prosecutors allege that Kaushik and co-conspirators acquired an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), a key aircraft navigation and control device, claiming it was intended for a civilian helicopter in India. Authorities say the group planned to reroute the equipment through India to an undisclosed Russian recipient. The system was intercepted before leaving the U.S.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida, on October 17 following a federal complaint and warrant. He appeared in court on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered detained until his trial, set for January 21, 2025.
If convicted, Kaushik faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each charge. The case is being handled by the Bureau of Industry and Security and prosecuted by federal attorneys specializing in counterintelligence and export control.