A 41-year-old former employee of DigitalMint, Angelo Martino, has pleaded guilty to participating in ransomware attacks carried out by the BlackCat (ALPHV) group that targeted U.S. companies in 2023.
Martino was charged alongside two other ransomware negotiators, Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin, who worked with Sygnia and DigitalMint. The trio faced charges including conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion and intentional damage to protected computer systems.
Martino had previously been identified as “Co-Conspirator 1” in an October 2025 indictment before being formally named in March court filings. All three have now pleaded guilty and could face significant prison sentences, with Martin and Goldberg each facing up to 20 years.
According to court documents, Martino abused his role as a ransomware negotiator by sharing sensitive victim information with BlackCat operators. While handling negotiations for five victims, he disclosed details such as negotiation strategies and insurance policy limits, allowing attackers to maximize ransom demands.
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