Angelo Martino, a former ransomware negotiator at incident-response firm DigitalMint, is sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring with BlackCat (also known as ALPHV) ransomware operators. Multiple reports say Martino shared confidential client information obtained during ransomware negotiations with the attackers, beginning in April 2023. Prosecutors state the information included details about victims’ negotiating positions, insurance policy limits, and internal assessments, which helped the ransomware group carry out extortion efforts.
The accounts also describe Martino as participating beyond information-sharing, including actions that assisted in scamming ransomware victims. Engadget reports he helped scam victims out of more than $75 million, while the Justice Department is cited as describing an arrangement to extort multiple victims. TechRadar adds that Martino must forfeit what he gained.
The sentencing reflects federal authorities’ view that Martino abused his role intended to help victims respond to ransomware incidents while instead aiding the attackers’ extortion operations.
