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Former ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to aiding BlackCat attacks in 2023
Evidence first: scan the strongest sources, then decide whether to go deeper.
Published 2026-04-21 10:12 UTCUpdated 2026-04-21 21:03 UTC
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ransomwareextortionincident_responsethreat_actors
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Evidence trail (top sources)
top sources (4 domains)domains are deduped. counts indicate coverage, not truth.4 top sources shown
Overview
Angelo Martino, a former ransomware negotiator for DigitalMint, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the BlackCat ransomware gang to extort U.S. companies in 2023. Martino exploited his position by sharing confidential victim information to maximize ransom payments for himself and affiliates.
Entities
DigitalMintBlackCatALPHVAngelo Martino
Score total
1.74
Momentum 24h
5
Posts
5
Origins
5
Source types
1
Duplicate ratio
0%
Why now
- Guilty plea announced in April 2026, following a multi-year investigation.
- Follows two similar cases of former negotiators aiding ransomware gangs.
- Raises awareness of ongoing risks in ransomware negotiation industry.
Why it matters
- Highlights insider threats within ransomware negotiation services.
- Shows how ransomware gangs exploit trusted intermediaries to increase extortion success.
- Signals need for stronger vetting and monitoring of incident response personnel.
LLM analysis
Topic mix: lowPromo risk: lowSource quality: high
Recurring claims
- Angelo Martino pleaded guilty to conspiring with BlackCat ransomware gang to extort U.S. companies in 2023.
- Martino exploited his role as a ransomware negotiator to share confidential victim information and maximize ransom payments.
- DigitalMint fired Martino after learning of the Justice Department investigation in April 2025.
How sources frame it
- Justice Department: neutral
All evidence
All evidence
Former DigitalMint ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to extortion scheme
CyberScoop · cyberscoop.com · 2026-04-21 21:03 UTC
Third US Security Expert Admits Helping Ransomware Gang
SecurityWeek · securityweek.com · 2026-04-21 14:44 UTC
Ransomware Negotiator Pleads Guilty to Aiding BlackCat Attacks in 2023
thehackernews · thehackernews.com · 2026-04-21 14:31 UTC
Yet another ex-ransomware negotiator admits turning rogue after payoff from crimelords
The Register Security · go.theregister.com · 2026-04-21 14:15 UTC
Former ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to BlackCat attacks
bleepingcomputer_all · bleepingcomputer.com · 2026-04-21 10:12 UTC
Show filters & breakdown
Posts loaded: 0Publishers: 5Origin domains: 5Duplicates: -
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Top publishers (this list)
- CyberScoop (1)
- SecurityWeek (1)
- thehackernews (1)
- The Register Security (1)
- bleepingcomputer_all (1)
Top origin domains (this list)
- cyberscoop.com (1)
- securityweek.com (1)
- thehackernews.com (1)
- go.theregister.com (1)
- bleepingcomputer.com (1)