Former ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to BlackCat conspiracy

A former ransomware negotiator pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit ransomware attacks against U.S. companies, the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, announced. Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O'Lakes, Florida, was employed by DigitalMint, a cyber incident response company in 2023, when he abused his role to provide BlackCat/ALPHV hackers with confidential information about the negotiating position of his clients.  

BlackCat has carried out several high-profile attacks against healthcare organizations and companies in other sectors, most notably claiming responsibility for the 2024 cyberattack against Change Healthcare. BlackCat threat actors have also carried out cyberattacks against Henry Schein, a major distributor of healthcare products, and Lehigh Valley Health Network, among others. 

According to court documents, beginning in April 2023, Martino assisted BlackCat cyberthreat actors using his insider knowledge as a ransomware negotiator. In providing confidential information on negotiation proceedings, Martino enabled BlackCat to maximize the ransoms its victims were required to pay, the DOJ stated. Martino received payment for this information. 

Additionally, Martino admitted to conspiring with two other men to deploy BlackCat ransomware against multiple U.S. victims between April and November 2023. Those two men entered guilty pleas for the same charges in December 2025. 

"All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry and leveraged their knowledge and skills to commit these crimes," the DOJ stated. "After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their share of the ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means." 

Law enforcement has seized $10 million in assets from Martino, including a luxury fishing boat, digital currency and a food truck that he acquired using the proceeds from these crimes. Martino could face up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026. 

"The FBI works every day to dismantle the ransomware ecosystem. That includes apprehending key facilitators like Angelo Martino, who abused the trust placed in him as a private sector negotiator by collaborating with ransomware criminals," Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's cyber division, said in the press release.  

"Martino provided BlackCat ransomware actors with confidential information to maximize ransom payments. He also conspired with other U.S. residents to launch attacks on victims across the country. His guilty plea demonstrates that, for all the international aspects of cybercrime, the threat is also here in the United States. The FBI is proud of the close collaboration with partners that led to this outcome." 

This news builds on a yearslong DOJ effort to take down BlackCat ransomware. In 2023, the DOJ successfully disrupted the group and offered a decryption tool to more than 500 of its victims, saving an estimated $99 million in ransom payments. 

Jill Hughes has covered health tech news since 2021.