Former DigitalMint Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced for Defrauding Clients

Angelo John Martino III, a former ransomware negotiator for DigitalMint, has been sentenced to 70 months in jail for deceiving his employer’s clients and conspiring with ransomware affiliates to extort a combined $75.3 million from five U.S. companies he was entrusted to aid during their moments of extreme crisis. Martino exploited confidential information gained from his role, including victim organizations’ negotiating positions and insurance policy limits, to maximize payments for himself and other BlackCat affiliates he colluded with in backchannels.

Martino, 41, was assigned by DigitalMint to conduct ransomware negotiations on behalf of five clients who had hired the company. He effectively played both sides, conducting negotiations with himself and his co-conspirators. These five victims, all of whom paid ransoms between April 2023 and September 2023, included a nonprofit that paid nearly $26.8 million, a financial services company that paid nearly $25.7 million, and a hospitality company that paid almost $16.5 million. DigitalMint hired Martino in 2022, after he had already engaged in criminal activity, according to court records.

Martino surrendered to U.S. Marshals in March, was released on a $500,000 bond, and pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. He faced up to 20 years in prison. He also admitted to conspiring with Kevin Tyler Martin, another former ransomware negotiator at DigitalMint, and Ryan Clifford Goldberg, a former manager of incident response at Sygnia, to deploy BlackCat ransomware, also known as ALPHV, against five additional U.S. companies between April and November 2023.

Goldberg, Martin, and Martino split proceeds from a nearly $1.3 million ransom payment they received from a medical company in May 2023. However, they did not successfully extort a financial payment from the other four victims. Goldberg and Martin pleaded guilty in December to participating in a series of ransomware attacks and were each sentenced in April to four years in prison.

DigitalMint maintains it had no knowledge of Martino's criminal acts, stating, "The actions of Martino and his co-conspirators were deliberately concealed from DigitalMint and were in clear violation of the company’s values, ethical standards and the law." A company spokesperson added that Martino was immediately terminated and his access suspended when the Justice Department notified the company of its investigation in April 2025. DigitalMint also stated that Martino intentionally hid his conduct, using separate, unauthorized communication channels.

Prosecutors described Martino as a 'double agent' driven by greed. He obtained an ALPHV affiliate account that he shared with co-conspirators and received a portion of ransomware payments. Authorities have seized approximately $10 million in assets from Martino, including multiple properties, cryptocurrency wallets, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat.

Court records reveal chat logs where Martino provided crucial tips to BlackCat affiliates regarding victim negotiation strategies. For instance, during an incident response with one victim, Martino informed a BlackCat affiliate that the company's insurance carrier "was only approving small accounts." He added, "Keep denying our offers and I will let you know once I find out the max they want to pay."

This case highlights an extreme, albeit rare, example of the inherent risks and potential for abuse within the ransomware negotiation industry. The backchannel negotiations, often unscrutinized, can lead to severe consequences when individuals like Martino betray trust for personal gain, demonstrating the dark underbelly of this practice.