# Ryuk ransomware participant receives 24-month prison sentence

_Published Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 5:07 AM EDT · Security · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Ryuk ransomware participant receives 24-month prison sentence — Primary](https://www.bleepstatic.com/content/hl-images/2026/09/23/RYUK_ransomware.jpg)

An Armenian man who helped gain access to U.S. corporate networks for Ryuk ransomware attacks has been sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Karen Serobovich Vardanyan pleaded guilty in July after his extradition from Ukraine, where he was arrested in April 2025.

Court documents cited in the report place his attacks between March 2019 and approximately June 2020. In one case, a Michigan company paid 200 BTC, worth over $1.1 million at the time. Prosecutors also identified a Texas school and an Oregon technology company among the victims.

## Sources

- [BleepingComputer](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ryuk-ransomware-member-sentenced-to-24-months-in-prison/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/xQhnA6vTYjJza9lycnTCdO
Published: 2026-09-23T09:07:56.616Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-23T08:20:05.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-09-23T10:29:53.299Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)