Karen Vardanyan (Threat actor): news timeline & CVEs

Ryuk Member Karen Vardanyan Sentenced to Two Years in U.S. Prison

Ryuk affiliate Karen Vardanyan was sentenced to 24 months in U.S. prison and ordered to pay $1.2 million restitution.

Armenian national Karen Vardanyan, known online as Maneeken, was sentenced in the United States to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release after extradition from Ukraine. He pleaded guilty to illegally accessing corporate networks and helping deploy Ryuk ransomware against U.S. organizations between November 2019 and April 2020. A Michigan company paid 200 Bitcoin, then worth over $1.1 million, and the court ordered $1,219,106 in restitution. The wider conspiracy collected about 1,610 Bitcoin, more than $15 million then, while Ryuk overall was estimated at $150 million before operators rebranded as Conti.

Security AffairsSep 24, 20:50 UTC · 2d agoPolicy & legal 8 sources

Ryuk ransomware operator sentenced to 2 years in prison

Armenian Ryuk operator Karen Vardanyan received a two-year U.S. sentence and about $1.2 million restitution.

The U.S. Justice Department said Karen Vardanyan, a 35-year-old Armenian national extradited from Ukraine, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to computer fraud and conspiracy tied to Ryuk ransomware attacks in 2019 and 2020. The sentence includes about $1.2 million in restitution and three years of supervised release, followed by removal from the United States. Court records cite a Michigan company that paid nearly $1.2 million, an Oregon technology company, and a Texas school. Prosecutors said Vardanyan and co-conspirators received about 1,160 bitcoins, then worth more than $15 million, after deploying Ryuk on hundreds of systems.

CyberScoopupdated Sep 24, 20:50 UTC · 2d agofirst Sep 23, 17:10 UTC · 3d agoPolicy & legal 8 sources

Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison

Armenian national Karen Vardanyan sentenced to 24 months in prison for involvement in global Ryuk ransomware attacks.

An Armenian national, Karen Vardanyan, has been sentenced to 24 months in U.S. federal prison for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks. The attacks targeted organizations worldwide, including a company in Oregon. Vardanyan was extradited from Ukraine to the United States for prosecution.

DataBreaches.netupdated Sep 24, 20:50 UTC · 2d agofirst Sep 23, 16:00 UTC · 3d agoRansomware 8 sources

Ryuk ransomware operator gets 2-year sentence after extorting victims for $1.2 million

An Armenian Ryuk operator received a two-year U.S. prison sentence and $1.2 million in victim restitution.

Karen Vardanyan, 35, was sentenced to two years in U.S. federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $1,219,106 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy and computer fraud. Prosecutors called him a core Ryuk member and said the group launched more than 2,400 attacks and took at least $15 million in ransoms, including a Universal Health Services incident that cost $67 million. He was arrested in Kyiv and extradited from Ukraine in July 2025. Ryuk, first seen in 2018, has been linked to Russian cybercriminals and to operators of Trickbot.

The Recordupdated Sep 24, 20:50 UTC · 2d agofirst Sep 23, 15:30 UTC · 3d agoPolicy & legal 8 sources

Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced for Deploying Malware and Extorting Victim Networks

A Ryuk ransomware operator has been sentenced to 24 months in U.S. federal prison and ordered to pay over $1.2 million in restitution.

Karen Vardanyan, a 35-year-old Armenian national, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks. Extradited from Ukraine, he was part of a conspiracy that deployed Ryuk between March 2019 and June 2020, targeting organizations worldwide and extorting over $1 million. The court also ordered him to pay $1,219,106 in restitution to victims.

Cyber Security Newsupdated Sep 24, 20:50 UTC · 2d agofirst Sep 23, 14:28 UTC · 3d agoRansomware 8 sources

Karen Vardanyan

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Ryuk Member Karen Vardanyan Sentenced to Two Years in U.S. Prison

Ryuk ransomware operator sentenced to 2 years in prison

Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison

Ryuk ransomware operator gets 2-year sentence after extorting victims for $1.2 million

Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced for Deploying Malware and Extorting Victim Networks