Former Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced to 70 Months for Aiding BlackCat
Summary
Angelo Martino was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to helping BlackCat/ALPHV extort at least five victims. Investigators said he shared clients’ negotiation positions with the ransomware operators.
Key points
- Angelo Martino, 41, of Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty in April.
- Investigators said Martino began working with BlackCat/ALPHV operators in April 2023 and helped them extort at least five victims.
- The DOJ said Martino provided confidential information about his employer’s clients’ negotiating positions and strategy to help the ransomware operators maximize ransom payments.
- Authorities seized assets valued at $10 million, including cryptocurrency and vehicles; restitution will be determined at a later hearing.
- Two other cybersecurity-firm employees, Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg, were each sentenced to four years in prison in late April.
- The article says BlackCat targeted more than 1,000 organizations between 2021 and December 2023, when the criminal enterprise was disrupted.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Sentencing of a cybersecurity professional for assisting ransomware operators.
- Impact
- Angelo Martino was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty. According to investigators, he worked with BlackCat/Alphv operators from April 2023 and helped extort at least five victims by sharing confidential information about clients’ negotiating positions and strategies. Authorities seized assets valued at $10 million; restitution is pending. The article also reports that Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg each received four-year prison sentences. Separately, BlackCat attacks targeted more than 1,000 organizations between 2021 and December 2023, and the operators later received a $22 million ransom from a victim.
Threat Actors
ALPHVThe article identifies BlackCat/Alphv as the ransomware operators Martino worked with. The slash notation links the names in the article.Angelo MartinoThe article reports that Martino pleaded guilty and was sentenced after helping BlackCat/Alphv operators extort victims by sharing confidential client negotiation information.BlackCatThe article identifies BlackCat/Alphv as the ransomware operators Martino worked with and reports that BlackCat attacks targeted more than 1,000 organizations. The slash notation links the names in the article.Kevin MartinThe article reports that Martin was charged over involvement in helping ransomware operators and was sentenced to four years in prison.Ryan GoldbergThe article reports that Goldberg was charged over involvement in helping ransomware operators and was sentenced to four years in prison.