NEW DELHI: The US Justice Department on November 20 indicted a 57-year-old Indian Sanjay Kaushik from Oregon, for conspiring to export aviation components to Russia.
"Kaushik was indicted for conspiring to export controlled aviation components with dual civilian and military applications to end users in Russia, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Kaushik is also charged with attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through Indi and with making false statements in connection with an export,’’ read the statement issued by the US Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida, on October 17 this year under a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant was issued by the District of Oregon.
Meanwhile, according to the court documents, beginning as early as March 2023, it has been alleged that Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the US for entities in Russia.
"The goods were purchased under the false pretence that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were destined for Russian end users,’’ according to the DOJ.
It has been alleged that Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier.
Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia. To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter.
Kaushik and his co-conspirators obtained the AHRS – which was ultimately detained before it was exported from the United States – on behalf of and to ship it, through India, to a customer in Russia.
Even though an indictment, is only an accusation until proven, if convicted, Kaushik faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and up to USD 1 million for each count in the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.