The US accuses an Indian of allegedly exporting air cargo to Russia, and he faces up to 20 years in prison

The US Department of Justice has charged the Indian with conspiring to export controlled aircraft components to Russian entities in violation of the Export Control Reform Act.

Sanjay Kaushik, a 57-year-old Indian, is also accused of trying to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through India.

According to a Justice Department statement, the charges also included Kaushik making false statements in connection with the exports.

On October 17, Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida on a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant issued by the District of Oregon.

The statement says that Kaushik began conspiring with others to illegally obtain aerospace goods and technologies from the US for entities in Russia, which began in March 2023, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Later, “the goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be delivered to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were intended for Russian end users.”

If convicted, Kaushik faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $1 million for each count in the indictment.

Watch | An Indian citizen accused in the US of trying to export aviation goods to Russia

After considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Nyhus of the District of Oregon and trial attorneys Joshua E. Kurland and Dallas J. Kaplan of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division.

(With the participation of the agency)