Romanian Hacker Extradited to US for $250K Oregon State Network Breach

scsecFebruary 25, 20261 Mins read6 Views

Romanian Hacker Extradited to US for Oregon State Network Breach

A 45-year-old Romanian man, Catalin Dragomir, has admitted to hacking into an Oregon state government office and selling access to its network, along with targeting other victims across the United States. Dragomir, a resident of Constanta, Romania, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026, to charges of theft of personal data and illegal entry into protected computer systems.

Details of the Breach and Financial Impact
The attacks date back to June 2021. Dragomir infiltrated the Oregon state office’s computer network without permission and attempted to sell access to potential buyers. To prove control, he shared samples of personal data from real individuals, constituting aggravated identity theft.

Court records indicate that Dragomir also sold access to multiple other US networks. These combined actions caused financial losses totaling at least $250,000.

Extradition and Legal Proceedings
After a lengthy investigation, Dragomir was arrested in Romania in November 2024 and extradited to the US in January 2025. The FBI Portland Field Office led the investigation, supported by cybersecurity firm Darkweb IQ.

During court proceedings, Dragomir pled guilty to one count of “obtaining information from a protected computer” and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 26, 2026. For the first charge, he faces up to five years in prison, followed by a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for identity theft.

US Department of Justice’s Ongoing Cybercrime Efforts
The DoJ has been actively pursuing cybercriminals. Earlier in February 2026, Rui-Siang Lin, operator of the Incognito Market, received a 30-year sentence. In 2025, North Korean nationals and US citizens were charged in the Laptop Farm scheme, which used stolen identities to trick at least 64 US companies into hiring foreign IT workers.

Since 2020, the DoJ’s cybercrime unit has secured convictions against over 180 criminals and helped return more than $350 million to victims, demonstrating a strong focus on combating international cybercrime.

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1 Comment

scsec says:

February 25, 2026 at 09:01

“This case highlights the growing threat of international cybercrime. Even individual hackers can cause significant financial damage by targeting government networks. Strong cybersecurity measures and international cooperation are more important than ever.”

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