United States of America v. Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Martin

Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendants charged with conspiring to obstruct, delay or affect commerce through extortion in connection with ransomware attacks occurring in 2023.

Ryan Goldberg, 40, of Georgia, Kevin Martin, 36, of Texas, and another co-conspirator successfully deployed the ransomware known as ALPHV BlackCat between April 2023 and December 2023 against multiple victims located throughout the United States. The three men agreed to pay the ALPHV BlackCat administrators a 20% share of any ransoms received in exchange for access to the ransomware and ALPHV BlackCat’s extortion platform. All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry — meaning that they had special skills and experience in securing computer systems against harm, including the type of harm they themselves were committing against the victims in this case. After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their 80% share of this ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means.

According to court documents, ALPHV BlackCat targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims around the world. The group used a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers were responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates were responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim paid, developers and affiliates shared the ransom.

Today’s announcement follows the Justice Department’s prior actions in December 2023 to disrupt ALPHV BlackCat ransomware, in which the FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer hundreds of victims the capability of restoring their systems, saving victims approximately $99 million in ransom payments. At that time, the FBI also seized several websites operated by ALPHV BlackCat.

Goldberg and Martin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a). The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2026, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.

Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.

Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Extortion
(1)
Interference with Commerce by Extortion
(2)
Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer
(3)

The Defendants elected to plead guilty.