A Florida man, Angelo Martino, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after admitting he helped hackers carry out ransomware attacks while working as a negotiator for a U.S. cybersecurity company.
The U.S. Department of Justice said authorities also seized more than $10 million in cryptocurrency and assets tied to the case, including a food truck and a luxury fishing boat allegedly purchased with illicit proceeds.
Martino is the third person sentenced in the scheme, following Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg. Prosecutors said the group worked with the BlackCat ransomware operation, also known as ALPHV, and used it against U.S. companies during 2023.
In one case, the attackers allegedly extracted about $1.2 million from a victim company before dividing and laundering the money. The case stands out because it involved cybersecurity professionals using their expertise on both sides of the negotiation table.
BlackCat operated as a ransomware-as-a-service network, allowing affiliates to rent access to its malware in exchange for a share of profits. The model has become one of the most closely watched examples of how cybercrime can scale through collaboration and specialization.
As digital defense strategies evolve, cases like this may push organizations to strengthen trust, oversight, and response systems across the cybersecurity sector.