A Delhi businessman is heading to federal prison in Portland after admitting he tried to help ship high-end aviation navigation gear to Russia, prosecutors say. The plan centered on an aviation-grade attitude and heading reference system ordered from an Oregon supplier, a unit that was intercepted before it could leave the United States.
Federal prosecutors in Portland said Sanjay Kaushik, 58, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to export controlled aviation components to Russia. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, they described the scheme as calculated and profit-driven and said the conduct violated the Export Control Reform Act.
How prosecutors say the plot worked
As reported by KOIN, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude and Heading Reference System, or AHRS, from an Oregon vendor and used falsified end-user paperwork to obtain an export license. They claimed the equipment would end up in a civilian helicopter. Court filings and local coverage note that the AHRS, a navigation and flight-control unit, was detained by authorities before it could be forwarded to Russia.
Timeline and prosecution
Kaushik was arrested in Miami on Oct. 17, 2024. A federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment on Nov. 20, 2024, charging him with conspiring and attempting to export controlled aviation products. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said he pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2025, to conspiring to sell export-controlled aviation components, and that the case proceeded under the Export Administration Regulations and the Export Control Reform Act.
Why export controls are strict
Regulators say hardware like an AHRS can be used in both civilian and military aircraft, which is why shipments to Russia often trigger strict Commerce Department licensing rules and extra scrutiny. The Bureau of Industry and Security outlines how license requirements for Russia and Belarus work, and explains that certain items on the Commerce Control List require authorization to reduce the risk that they will be diverted to sanctioned military programs.
Legal note…