Cybercrime Third US Security Expert Sentenced to Prison for Helping Ransomware Gang Angelo Martino, a former ransomware negotiator, was sentenced to 70 months for helping the BlackCat/Alphv group. By Eduard Kovacs | July 10, 2026 (8:58 AM ET) Flipboard Reddit Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Another cybersecurity expert from the United States, accused of helping a cybercrime gang while working as a ransomware negotiator, has been sentenced to prison. Angelo Martino, 41, of Florida, was sentenced on Thursday to 70 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in April. Martino is one of the three individuals charged by US authorities last year over their role in ransomware attacks. The three men worked at cybersecurity firms, and two of them served as ransomware negotiators tasked with helping victims, but instead they helped the threat actors in return for a share of the ransom. The other two suspects, Kevin Martin from Texas and Ryan Goldberg from Georgia, were each sentenced to 4 years in prison in late April. According to investigators, Martino began working with BlackCat/Alphv ransomware operators in April 2023 and helped the hackers extort at least five victims. The DOJ said Martino was paid by BlackCat to “provide confidential information about the negotiating position and strategy of his employer’s clients and enable the ransomware actors to maximize the ransoms paid by the victims”. Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. Authorities seized $10 million worth of assets from Martino, including cryptocurrency, vehicles, a food truck, and a fishing boat. Martino will also have to pay restitution, but the amount will be determined in a hearing scheduled for September. Over 1,000 organizations were targeted in BlackCat ransomware attacks between 2021 and December 2023, when the criminal enterprise was disrupted . A few months later, the hackers received a $22 million ransom from a victim and pulled an exit scam . The US has been offering $10 million for information leading to the identification of key members of the group. Related : County Government Reportedly Paid $1 Million to Cyber Extortion Group Related : Alleged Scattered Spider Hacker Extradited to US Related : Google, FBI Disrupt NetNut Residential Proxy Network Powered by Millions of Devices Written By Eduard Kovacs Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is senior managing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher before starting a career in journalism in 2011. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering. Daily Briefing Newsletter Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing for the latest cybersecurity threats, trends, and expert insights. 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