Delhi Man Goes To US Prison For Exporting Aviation Parts To Russia
India-West Staff Reporter
PORTLAND, OR- A 58-year-old man from Delhi has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to send U.S.-made aviation components and a navigation and flight control system to Russian end users in violation of export control laws.
Sanjay Kaushik was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
Kaushik pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, to conspiracy to transfer export-controlled aviation items with civilian and military applications to Russia.
According to prosecutors, Kaushik and others began acquiring aerospace equipment in September 2023 from U.S. suppliers under the false claim that the goods were destined for Kaushik’s Indian company. Investigators said the parts were actually meant to be routed through India to Russian clients.
Court records show one attempted purchase involved an Attitude and Heading Reference System from an Oregon vendor. The AHRS which is used for navigation and flight control, requires a U.S. Department of Commerce export license for certain destinations, including Russia. Prosecutors said the conspirators falsely certified that Kaushik’s firm was the final buyer and that the unit would be installed in a civilian helicopter. The device was detained before it left the United States.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said in a statement issued by the District of Oregon. Bradford said Kaushik “sought, on multiple occasions, to undermine safeguards critical to U.S. national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain.”
Kaushik was arrested in Miami on October 17, 2024, based on a federal complaint and remained in custody pending prosecution. A grand jury in Portland later returned a three-count indictment on November 20, 2024, charging him with conspiracy, attempted export of controlled items, and making false export-related statements.
