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Canadian Man Extradited to U.S. Over University Hacking and Cryptocurrency Mining Scheme

A Canadian national has been extradited to the United States to face charges over an alleged hacking operation that targeted universities and used compromised computers to mine cryptocurrency. The scheme, which prosecutors say ran from 2016 to 2019, allegedly involved stealing login credentials, deploying malware and exploiting the computing resources of educational institutions for financial gain. 
Ryan James Roach, 35, of Saskatchewan, and Mathiew James Stubbings, 41, of Ontario, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of New York. Both face charges including conspiracy to obtain information from protected computers and cause damage to them, unauthorised acquisition of computer information and intentional computer damage. The charges carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 
According to the indictment, the alleged operation took place between June 2016 and December 2019. The two defendants are accused of targeting educational institutions in New York, Tennessee, North Carolina and Massachusetts, particularly institutions with access to supercomputers. At least some of the compromised systems were located at a higher education institution in the Western District of New York.

Prosecutors allege that Roach and Stubbings used virtual private servers hosted in multiple countries to distribute malware and cryptocurrency-mining software. 
The servers were reportedly registered under false identities and also used to retain credentials stolen from victims. To disguise their activity, the defendants allegedly routed their operations through servers and computers that had already been compromised at other institutions.

After gaining unauthorised access, the pair allegedly installed malware, collected login credentials and transferred stolen information to infrastructure under their control. They then made victim machines perform cryptocurrency-mining operations, using their processing capacity to generate revenue for the defendants. 
The indictment further alleges that the attackers researched security weaknesses in university networks and employed specialised tools to survey compromised environments and expand their access. The operation damaged at least 10 protected computers within a one-year period and caused losses of no less than $5,000.

Roach was extradited from Canada on October 28 and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen. 
He was arraigned and remained in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for November 3, 2026. Extradition proceedings for Stubbings are continuing in Canada.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire. The FBI and the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section investigated the alleged scheme. 
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also assisted in securing Roach’s arrest and extradition.

The indictment represents formal criminal allegations, not a finding of guilt. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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