Ryuk Ransomware Member Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

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Ryuk Ransomware Member Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

First seen 23 Sep 2026, 10:59 UTC • •29.9

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ThreatCluster •September 24, 2026 at 09:56 UTC

•Karen Vardanyan sentenced to 24 months for Ryuk ransomware involvement.
•Extradited from Ukraine, he targeted U.S. organizations, including one in Oregon.
•Ransomware operation extorted over $1 million from multiple victims.

Karen Vardanyan, a 35-year-old Armenian national, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his involvement in the Ryuk ransomware operation that targeted various organizations in the U.S. and abroad. He was extradited from Ukraine in 2025 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy and computer fraud charges in July 2026. Vardanyan was ordered to pay $1,219,106 in restitution to victims, which included a company in Wilsonville, Oregon. The Ryuk ransomware attacks occurred from March 2019 to June 2020, affecting multiple sectors including schools and businesses. The operation extorted over $1 million from victims, utilizing cryptocurrency for ransom payments. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office led the investigation, with assistance from Ukrainian authorities. This case highlights the challenges of prosecuting cybercriminals who operate from abroad.

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Timeline

2019-03

Ryuk ransomware attacks began

Vardanyan and co-conspirators initiated ransomware attacks targeting organizations worldwide.

2020-06

Ryuk operation concluded

The Ryuk ransomware operation was active until approximately June 2020, affecting various sectors.

2024-02-22

Federal grand jury indictment

A grand jury in Portland charged Vardanyan with conspiracy and computer fraud.

2025-06-20

Initial court appearance

Vardanyan appeared in federal court after being extradited from Ukraine.

2026-07-08

Plea agreement

Vardanyan pleaded guilty to conspiracy and computer fraud charges.

2026-09-22

Sentencing announcement

Vardanyan was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.

More articles in this cluster (9)

Threat Graph

4 entities, 4 inferred relationships (STIX 2.1).

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Technique (2)

Ransomware
T1486 - Data Encrypted for Impact

Threat Actor (2)

Ryuk
Ryuk Ransomware

Relationships

Ryuk uses Ransomware
Ryuk uses T1486 - Data Encrypted for Impact
Ryuk Ransomware uses Ransomware
Ryuk Ransomware uses T1486 - Data Encrypted for Impact

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