Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced to 70 Months for Aiding BlackCat Attacks

A 41-year-old former ransomware negotiator, Angelo Martino, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiring with the now-defunct BlackCat ransomware group to extort multiple victims. Martino, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce through extortion. He worked as a negotiator for five ransomware victims while secretly providing BlackCat attackers with confidential information, including insurance policy limits and internal negotiation positions, to maximize ransom payments. Prosecutors described him as a ‘double agent’ who betrayed his clients. Martino also colluded with Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Martin to deploy BlackCat ransomware between April and November 2023. Goldberg and Martin were sentenced to four years each in May 2026. The Justice Department has seized $10 million in assets from Martino, including digital currency, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat. Martino is scheduled to appear in court on September 17, 2026, to determine restitution. The case highlights the insider threat posed by trusted cybersecurity professionals aiding ransomware operations.