On November 20, in the District of Oregon, Sanjay Kaushik, a 57-year-old Indian national, was indicted for conspiring to export controlled aviation components with both civilian and military applications to Russia. This act is a violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Kaushik also faces charges for attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia via India and making false statements related to an export. He was apprehended in Miami, Florida, on October 17 following a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the District of Oregon.
Court documents reveal that starting as early as March 2023, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully acquire aerospace goods and technology from the United States for Russian entities. The goods were purchased under the guise that they would be supplied to Kaushik's Indian company but were intended for Russian end users.
In one instance cited, Kaushik and his co-conspirators acquired an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), essential for aircraft navigation and flight control data, from an Oregon-based supplier. Such components require a Department of Commerce license for exportation to specific countries like Russia. To secure this license for the AHRS, false claims were made stating that Kaushik’s Indian company was the final purchaser intending its use in a civilian helicopter. The AHRS was detained before it could be exported from the United States; it was meant to be shipped through India to a Russian customer.
If found guilty, Kaushik could face up to 20 years in prison along with fines reaching $1 million per indictment count. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other statutory factors.
The announcement came from Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon.
BIS Portland is handling investigations related to this case.
Prosecution is being managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Nyhus for the District of Oregon alongside Trial Attorneys Joshua E. Kurland and Dallas J. Kaplan from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
This case has been coordinated through Task Force KleptoCapture under the Justice Department—a collaborative law enforcement task force aimed at enforcing sanctions and controls against Russia following its military actions in Ukraine since March 2, 2022.
It should be noted that an indictment represents only allegations; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
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