Three Suspects Charged in Michael Schumacher Family Blackmail Case

Three suspects have been charged by prosecutors in connection with a blackmail attempt against the family of seven-time World Champion driver Michael Schumacher.

The Wuppertal Prosecutor’s Office has accused the three individuals of attempting to blackmail the Schumacher family. Local authorities provided a statement regarding the matter.

Earlier this year, three individuals were arrested in relation to the blackmail case. It is alleged that an ex-family security guard was responsible for digitizing private photographs and subsequently made them accessible. Another individual reportedly participated in the blackmail attempt alongside his son.

According to the allegations, the perpetrators made numerous phone calls in an attempt to extort €15 million from the Schumacher family. They threatened to publish sensitive private materials on the dark web if payment was not made. Evidence, including hard drives, USB sticks, and mobile phones, was seized during the arrest of the former security guard.

Michael Schumacher has not appeared in public since his serious skiing accident in 2013. His family has kept the condition of the seven-time F1 world champion private.

This is not the first blackmail attempt against the Schumacher family. In 2017, a 25-year-old man was convicted by a court in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, for attempting to blackmail Schumacher’s wife, Corinna. The individual threatened to harm their children, Gina-Marie and Mick Schumacher, and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, which was suspended.