In a shocking breach of trust, Angelo John Martino III, a ransomware negotiator from Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Martino, who worked for DigitalMint, a Chicago-based incident response company, was found to have secretly provided sensitive information to the BlackCat ransomware group. His actions included sharing details of victims' insurance policies, negotiation strategies, and financial situations, significantly inflating ransom demands. For instance, Martino advised BlackCat affiliates about a victim's insurance payout limits, which resulted in the hospitality company paying nearly $16.5 million in ransom. Overall, Martino's clients, which included a non-profit organization and a financial services company, paid over $75.3 million between April and September 2023.
In addition to leaking information, Martino, along with Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg, also engaged in deploying BlackCat ransomware themselves. As affiliates, they extorted $1.2 million from a medical device company, keeping 80% of the ransoms. In April 2026, Martin and Goldberg were sentenced to four years each for their involvement. Martino used the proceeds to buy properties, a boat, and vehicles, with authorities seizing $10 million of his assets.
Authorities have labeled DigitalMint as an unknowing victim, as Martino concealed his actions from his employer. The company has since revamped its negotiation processes and is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to create a registry for the largely unregulated field of ransomware negotiation. The FBI has emphasized its commitment to pursuing not only the ransomware criminals but also insiders who betray trust.