Florida consultant admits aiding BlackCat ransomware negotiations

Angelo Martino of Florida, the third US security expert to admit involvement, has pleaded guilty to participating in ransomware attacks while working for a cybersecurity company hired to negotiate with hackers.

Martino, who served as a ransomware negotiator at an incident response firm, allegedly provided the BlackCat/Alphv group with information useful for negotiating a ransom and, according to the Justice Department, the confidential information helped maximise the sums demanded; law enforcement has seized $10 million worth of assets connected to him.

The BlackCat operation targeted over 1,000 organisations between November 2021 and December 2023 before it was disrupted by law enforcement, after which the group continued for a few months and received a $22 million ransom before an exit scam. In October 2025, charges were announced against three individuals, with Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg already pleading guilty in late 2025; Martino’s identity was revealed in March 2026 and he now faces up to 20 years in prison. The US has offered a $10 million reward for information on key BlackCat members, but no charges have been announced to date.