Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, a 34-year-old Armenian man, pleaded guilty to helping hack U.S. companies and deploy Ryuk ransomware after providing initial access to corporate networks. He and his co-conspirators targeted multiple organizations, including a Michigan company, a technology company in Oregon, and a school in Texas, and received millions in bitcoin ransom payments. #Ryuk #KarenSerobovichVardanyan #U.S.DepartmentofJustice
Keypoints
- Vardanyan pleaded guilty to helping deploy Ryuk ransomware on U.S. company networks.
- He was extradited to the United States after being arrested in Kyiv in April 2025.
- The attacks occurred between November 2019 and April 2020 after initial network access was gained.
- Victims included a Michigan company, a technology company in Wilsonville, Oregon, and a school in Texas.
- The Ryuk operation generated about 1,610 bitcoins in ransom payments before later members shifted to Conti.