Ravie LakshmananJul 10, 2026Cybercrime / Law Enforcement
A 41-year-old former ransomware negotiator has been sentenced to nearly six years (i.e., 70 months) in prison in the U.S. for their role in conspiring with the now-defunct BlackCat ransomware operators to extort multiple victims and working with two other cybersecurity professionals to target additional victims in 2023.
In a sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors described Martino as a "double agent working to maximize the harm to his clients and the financial gain to cybercriminals who paid him a part of the ransom."
Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O'Lakes, Florida, pleaded guilty to one-count information charging him with conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce through extortion back in April. The defendant worked as a negotiator on behalf of five different ransomware victims, while providing BlackCat attackers with confidential information regarding their negotiating position and strategy without their knowledge or permission.
This information included details about the victims' insurance policy limits and internal negotiation positions, allowing the operators to maximize the ransom amounts they were required to pay.
