"We strongly condemn these former employees' criminal behavior, which violated our values, ethical standards, and the law," DigitalMint CEO Jonathan Solomon told BleepingComputer.
Angelo Martino — conviction, sentence, and actions alleged by prosecutors
Forty-one‑year‑old Angelo Martino was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty for his role in BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware attacks, according to court documents unsealed in March. The documents say Martino — initially identified only as "Co‑Conspirator 1" in an October 2025 indictment — participated directly in attacks between April 2023 and April 2025 alongside accomplices Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin.
Prosecutors allege that while serving as a ransomware negotiator for five victims, Martino shared confidential information about those victims' insurance policy limits and their negotiation positions with BlackCat operators. The complaint says those disclosures allowed the cybercriminals to extort “the maximum possible amount” from targets.
Kevin Tyler Martin and Ryan Clifford Goldberg — pleas and sentences
The two other former negotiators named in the case are 28‑year‑old Kevin Tyler Martin and 33‑year‑old Ryan Clifford Goldberg. Both pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to obstruct commerce by extortion and were sentenced in May to four years in prison each. Prosecutors say all three men operated as affiliates of the BlackCat ransomware group, demanding ransoms and threatening to leak stolen data before encrypting victims' systems.
How the trio worked with BlackCat (ALPHV)
Court filings describe the three as former employees of Sygnia and DigitalMint who became BlackCat affiliates. The filings state the accomplices paid BlackCat administrators a 20% share of all ransom proceeds in exchange for access to the ransomware and the group's extortion portal. Prosecutors say the affiliates coordinated demands, negotiated with victims, and shared victim data with the operators as part of the extortion process.
Victims and large ransom payments cited in filings
Prosecutors identify at least five U.S. organizations as victims of the trio's activity. Among those named, a financial services firm is described as having paid $25,660,000 and a nonprofit as having paid $26,793,000 in ransom. The filings also link victims to school districts, medical facilities, law firms, and other financial services companies.
The broader scope of the BlackCat gang is also referenced: the FBI linked BlackCat to more than 60 breaches between November 2021 and March 2022, and in a separate advisory the group was reported to have collected at least $300 million in ransom payments from more than 1,000 victims through September 2023.
DigitalMint, insurers, and victim organizations — immediate implications
DigitalMint: CEO Jonathan Solomon told BleepingComputer that the company condemned Martin and Martino's conduct and that both were terminated immediately after the actions were discovered. That public statement is the company’s cited response in the record.
Insurers: The court allegations that Martino disclosed victims' insurance policy limits and negotiation positions to BlackCat place insurers squarely in the picture; those disclosures are described as enabling criminals to push extortion to the limits of coverage.
Victim organizations: The filings highlight a mix of sectors and very large individual payments — including sums above $25 million — underscoring the fiscal exposure organizations faced in these episodes.
The unsealed filings and the sentences handed down close one chapter in a case that ties former corporate negotiators to active ransomware operations. They also surface specific mechanics prosecutors say enabled larger payouts — sharing of insurance limits, affiliate splits for access to ransomware, and direct coordination with criminal operators. The record names concrete payments, alleges internal disclosures by negotiators, and shows firms responding by terminating implicated employees; beyond that, the filings leave open how ongoing civil and regulatory consequences will play out for affected organizations.
Source: BleepingComputer — US ransomware negotiator gets 4 years in prison for BlackCat attacks
