Betrayal From Within the Negotiation Room
A former ransomware negotiator for cybersecurity response firms DigitalMint and Sygnia has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for collaborating with the BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware group. Angelo Martino pleaded guilty to using his insider knowledge to help the cybercriminal syndicate extort the maximum possible ransom from victims. While employed as a legitimate negotiator for five organizations, Martino secretly shared confidential information about victims’ insurance policy limits and negotiation strategies with BlackCat operators, allowing the attackers to demand higher payments.
Profiting From Dual Roles
Between April 2023 and April 2025, Martino worked alongside accomplices Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin as BlackCat affiliates. The trio encrypted victim servers, demanded ransoms, and threatened to leak stolen data. They paid BlackCat administrators a 20% cut of all proceeds for access to the ransomware and extortion portal. Prosecutors documented that Martino directly participated in attacks against at least five U.S. organizations, including a financial services firm that paid $25.66 million and a nonprofit that paid $26.79 million. Other victims included school districts, medical facilities, and law firms. DigitalMint CEO Jonathan Solomon confirmed the company terminated both Martino and Martin immediately upon discovering their criminal activities.
Source: BleepingComputer
