Land O’Lakes, FL – In a shocking betrayal, 41-year-old Angelo Martino, a former ransomware negotiator, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiring with notorious Blackcat/ALPHV (BlackCat) actors to extort multiple victims in 2023. Martino’s crimes left a trail of devastation, with victims sharing heartbreaking accounts of how their businesses were nearly destroyed.
According to court documents, Martino was hired to help victims in a moment of crisis, but instead, he betrayed them, feeding their confidential negotiating positions to ransomware criminals and helping to squeeze them for more money. The victims, who had trusted Martino to help them navigate the treacherous world of ransomware, were left reeling from the betrayal.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division praised the sentence, saying, “Today’s sentence accounts for the harm Martino caused and demonstrates that the Department of Justice can and will identify and prosecute cybercriminals to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida echoed the sentiment, stating, “This case sends a clear message: we will pursue the hackers who deploy ransomware, the insiders who enable them, and the money they steal from American victims.”
Martino’s crimes have sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community, highlighting the dangers of insiders who enable ransomware attacks. The case serves as a stark reminder that the Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue cybercriminals and bring them to justice.
The sentencing date for Angelo Martino was July 9, 2026.
Source: Department of Justice
