Romanian man pleads guilty to hacking Oregon state computer network

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A Romanian man has pleaded guilty to hacking into an Oregon state government computer network and selling access to it, along with access to other U.S. victims’ systems, federal prosecutors said.

Catalin Dragomir, 45, formerly of Constanta, Romania, pleaded guilty Wednesday to obtaining information from a protected computer and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office - District of Oregon.

Court documents say Dragomir gained unauthorized access in June 2021 to a computer connected to an Oregon state government office. He later sold access to that computer to another person online and shared samples of personal identifying information to prove he had control of the system, prosecutors said.

Authorities said Dragomir also sold access to computer networks belonging to other victims across the United States. Those intrusions caused losses of at least $250,000, according to court records.

A federal grand jury in Portland indicted Dragomir in May 2024 on charges that included computer intrusion, money laundering and identity theft. He was arrested in Romania in November 2024 and extradited to the U.S. in January 2025.

Dragomir faces up to five years in prison for the computer intrusion charge and a mandatory additional two-year prison sentence for aggravated identity theft. He could also be fined up to $250,000 on each count and placed on probation after prison. His sentencing is scheduled for May 26, 2026.

As a part of his agreement, Dragomir agreed to pay full restitution to victims and to forfeit cryptocurrency linked to the crimes.