Florida Ransomware Negotiator Jailed for Helping Gang Extort US Firms

A Florida man who posed as a legitimate ransomware negotiator has been convicted for secretly funneling payments to hackers and helping extort American companies.

A Florida-based ransomware negotiator has been convicted on federal charges for aiding a ransomware gang targeting U.S. companies.
The defendant is the third ransomware negotiator charged with working both sides of extortion schemes against American victims.
Prosecutors say the negotiator collected fees from victim companies while steering payments to the criminal group.
The case underscores federal law enforcement's expanding focus on intermediaries who profit from ransomware attacks.
Sentencing details and the specific gang involved were not immediately confirmed at publication time.

A Florida ransomware negotiator has been convicted on federal charges for helping a ransomware gang extort American companies, the Justice Department confirmed Thursday.

The defendant, hired by victim businesses to negotiate ransom payments and minimize losses, was instead routing proceeds to the criminal group and taking a cut, according to prosecutors.

He is the third ransomware negotiator convicted in the United States for running a double-sided scheme — presenting as a legitimate crisis consultant while actively assisting the attackers.

Federal prosecutors said the arrangement let the gang extract higher payments by using a trusted intermediary to pressure victims into compliance.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida, the Wail confirmed.

The conviction adds to a string of federal actions targeting the ransomware ecosystem beyond the hackers themselves — reaching fixers, launderers, and go-betweens who keep the criminal pipeline operational.

Sentencing is expected in the coming weeks, with federal guidelines in similar cases running to decades in federal prison.