PORTLAND, Ore. — An Armenian national extradited from Ukraine has pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a Ryuk ransomware campaign that targeted businesses across the United States, including a technology company in Wilsonville, federal prosecutors announced.
Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, 34, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and computer fraud for participating in a cybercrime operation that deployed ransomware against victim companies between November 2019 and April 2020.
According to court documents, Vardanyan and his co-conspirators illegally accessed corporate computer networks and installed Ryuk ransomware on compromised servers and workstations. The malware encrypted victims’ data, preventing access to critical files until a ransom was paid.
Federal prosecutors said the attackers left ransom notes on infected systems demanding payment in Bitcoin and provided an email address for victims to communicate with the cybercriminals. In exchange for payment, victims were promised decryption keys to restore access to their data.
Among the victims was a Michigan company that paid 200 Bitcoin—worth more than $1.1 million at the time—to recover its network. Investigators also said the group targeted a technology company in Wilsonville, Oregon, and a Texas school in February 2020.
Authorities allege Vardanyan and his associates deployed ransomware on hundreds of compromised servers and workstations nationwide and received approximately 1,610 Bitcoin in ransom payments, valued at more than $15 million when the payments were made.
A federal grand jury in Portland indicted Vardanyan on Feb. 22, 2024, charging him with conspiracy, computer fraud, and extortion.
Under the plea agreement, Vardanyan agreed to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution.
He faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy conviction and up to 10 years in prison for computer fraud. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2026, before a U.S. District Court judge.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon announced the guilty plea.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine A. Rykken.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in securing Vardanyan’s arrest and extradition from Ukraine, with support from Ukrainian authorities.
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