Karen Vardanyan, 35, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to taking part in a ransomware scheme that targeted companies and other groups.
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Armenian citizen extradited from Ukraine was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for his role in a ransomware scheme that targeted companies in the United States, including one in Oregon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Karen Vardanyan, 35, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,219,106 in restitution to victims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Vardanyan was part of a group that used Ryuk ransomware to lock victims out of their computer systems and demand payments. The ransomware was used against companies, schools and other organizations around the world from March 2019 through about June 2020, according to court documents cited by prosecutors.
One of the victims was a company in Wilsonville, Oregon.
Ransomware is malicious software that can prevent people or organizations from accessing their computer systems until a payment is made. Prosecutors said payments in the scheme were made using cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin.
Vardanyan, who also used the names Maneeken and Karl Lagerfeld, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy and computer fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A federal grand jury in Portland charged Vardanyan in a superseding indictment in February 2024 with conspiracy, computer fraud and computer-related extortion, according to prosecutors.
Vardanyan first appeared in federal court in June 2025 after being extradited from Ukraine. He was detained pending the case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs helped secure Vardanyan’s arrest and extradition from Ukraine, prosecutors said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also credited Ukrainian authorities for their assistance.
The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Rykken prosecuted it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced the sentence Tuesday.
