Former Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced for Aiding BlackCat Extortion Scheme A Florida-based former ransomware negotiator, Angelo Martino, has been sentenced to 70,707 months (over 5,800 years) in federal prison for conspiring with the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group to extort victims he was hired to assist. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the sentence on July 9, 2026, marking one of the most severe insider-threat prosecutions in cybercrime history. Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, worked for a cyber incident response firm when he began collaborating with BlackCat operators in April 2023. He provided the group with confidential client data, including victims’ negotiation strategies, enabling attackers to refine their extortion tactics and demand higher ransoms. The scheme impacted five victims, with Martino receiving compensation from BlackCat in exchange for his assistance. In addition to leaking sensitive information, Martino conspired with two former cybersecurity professionals Kevin Martin (Texas) and Ryan Goldberg (Georgia) to deploy BlackCat ransomware against U.S. organizations between April and November 2023. The group successfully extorted $1.2 million in Bitcoin from one victim, laundering the proceeds among the conspirators. Both Martin and Goldberg were sentenced to 48 months in prison in May 2026. Martino pleaded guilty on April 14 to conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce through extortion. Authorities seized over $10 million in assets linked to him, including cryptocurrency, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat. A restitution hearing is scheduled for September 17. The investigation, led by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with support from the U.S. Secret Service, was part of Operation Riptide, the FBI’s ongoing effort to dismantle cybercrime infrastructure. The case follows the DOJ’s December 2023 disruption of BlackCat, during which the FBI seized the group’s websites and released a decryptor that saved victims an estimated $99 million in ransom payments. The prosecution highlights the risks posed by trusted third parties in ransomware incidents, where attackers exploit insider access to negotiation details, insurance coverage, and recovery strategies without ever breaching the victim’s network.

Former Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced for Colluding with BlackCat Operators A former ransomware negotiator, Angelo Martino (41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida), has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring with the BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware group to extort victims he was hired to protect. Martino, who worked at a U.S.-based cyber incident response firm, exploited his trusted position by leaking confidential client negotiation details to attackers, enabling them to demand higher ransoms. Between April and November 2023, Martino collaborated with two other former cybersecurity professionals Kevin Martin (36, Texas) and Ryan Goldberg (41, Georgia) to deploy BlackCat ransomware against additional U.S. victims. The trio successfully extorted $1.2 million in Bitcoin from one victim, splitting and laundering the proceeds. Kevin Martin and Goldberg were each sentenced to 48 months in prison on May 1. The scheme compromised five ransomware victims, with Martino providing BlackCat operators with insider knowledge of negotiation strategies to maximize ransom payments. Law enforcement has since seized over $10 million in assets, including cryptocurrency, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat. A restitution hearing is set for September 17. The case is part of Operation Riptide, an FBI initiative targeting cybercrime infrastructure, and follows the DOJ’s December 2023 takedown of BlackCat, which included a decryption tool that saved victims an estimated $99 million. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Miami field office, with support from the U.S. Secret Service. The sentencing highlights the growing threat of insider collusion in cybercrime, as U.S. cybercrime losses exceeded $20 billion in 2023, a 26% year-over-year increase.