Access broker behind Oregon state government network intrusion sentenced to 4+ years in prison
Catalin Dragomir, the 46-year-old Romanian access broker who sold stolen credentials linked to the computer networks of Oregon’s Department of Emergency Management, was on Tuesday sentenced to four years and eight months in federal prison.
Dragomir, a prolific access broker who used the online handle inthematrix1, had pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining information from a protected computer and one count of aggravated identity theft. The Oregonian reported that District Judge Michael H. Simon said Dragomir’s crimes, which targeted the government’s critical infrastructure, were being taken “very seriously.”
A spokesperson from Enterprise Information Services, the Oregon state government’s technology department, in February declined to provide additional information when asked whether any sensitive information had been compromised as a result of what other officials had taken to referring to as “the incident.”
According to the Department of Justice, Dragomir’s business of selling credentials, for systems operated not only by Oregon but organizations around the country, caused losses of at least $250,000. Katherine A. Rykken, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the case, called Dragomir “quite prolific,” noting his business’ global footprint, The Oregonian reported. Court documents showed he often accepted cryptocurrency payments valued in the thousands of dollars for his services.
In November 2024, the FBI arrested Dragomir in Romania, where he reportedly admitted guilt and began cooperating with authorities. He was extradited to the United States in January 2025 and has since been held in Oregon’s Columbia County Jail.
In a press release, the DOJ thanked a New York cybercrime prevention firm called Darkweb IQ for assisting in its investigation. According to the DOJ, its Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section has secured the convictions of more than 180 criminals associated with cybersecurity or intellectual property crimes and ordered the return of more than $350 million in victim funds.
