US DoJ indicts 57 y/o Indian national for illegally exporting American aviation components to Russia

The US Department of Justice has indicted a 57-year-old Indian man named Sanjay Kaushik for conspiring to unlawfully export aviation components to Russian entities. According to the statement released by the Justice Department, Kaushik was charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act.

The aviation components that the Indian national was trying to export had dual civil and military applications. The charges include attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia via India and making false statements about the export. The authorities arrested Kaushik from Miami, Florida on October 17 after a criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued by the District of Oregon.

The court document stated that Kaushik and his co-conspirators began plotting in March last year, amid the still ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The alleged plan was to procure aerospace goods and technology from the US under false pretence. The prosecutors accused the suspect of claiming that the goods were intended to be used in Kaushik’s Indian company, but it was Russia which was the end user.

If convicted, Kaushik can face 20 years in prison.

In one such instance, Kaushik and his colleagues acquired an Altitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is seen as a critical component for aircraft navigation and flight control. The component was acquired from an Oregon supplier. What makes the matter controversial is the fact that exporting such components to restricted countries, which includes Russia, is prohibited by the Department of Commerce under the Export Control Reform Act.

If Kaushik is found guilty in the case, he will face severe penalties and a prison sentence of up to 20 years. It is important to note that the final sentence in the case will be determined by the federal district court judges, considering the US Sentencing Guidelines.

The case was announced by 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 US Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon.

The investigation is part of the KleptoCapture task force, which was established on March 2, 2022. The task force is responsible for enforcing sanctions and export controls that were imposed shortly after Russia launched a full-scale war in Ukraine.

With inputs from agencies.