An Indian businessman, Sanjay Kaushik, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in the United States for illegally exporting restricted aerospace components to Russia. The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that Kaushik, a 58-year-old executive from New Delhi, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiring to circumvent U.S. export control laws.
According to court documents, Kaushik and his associates purchased aviation parts, including an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), from an Oregon-based supplier. These components, which provide critical navigation and flight control data for aircraft, require a Department of Commerce export license for shipment to certain countries, including Russia.
To bypass these regulations, Kaushik falsely represented that the parts would be sent to his Indian company for use in civilian helicopters. Instead, the goods were shipped to Russian entities, violating U.S. export laws.
“Those who scheme to circumvent U.S. export control laws—especially when it involves technologies with military applications—will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The security of the United States demands accountability for deceitful schemes such as this.”
Kaushik, who was arrested in 2024, has been in U.S. custody since his detention. In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed 36 months of supervised release following his term.
This case underscores the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to enforce export control regulations and prevent sensitive technologies from reaching unauthorized international users, particularly those with potential military applications.
