F1 News: Two people arrested after attempted blackmail with Michael Schumacher

Two individuals have been arrested after attempting to blackmail the family of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher. The father-son duo, both residents of Wuppertal, Germany, demanded millions of euros in exchange for the withholding of sensitive files which they threatened to publish on the darknet if their demands were not met.

This reprehensible incident occurred when the suspects presented what they claimed was proof that they had a dossier that would force the payment of several million euros to the Schumacher family, although prosecutors did not disclose details of these files. The arrest, which took place on June 19 in the parking lot of a supermarket in Gross-Gerau, central Germany, took place while the two suspects were already on probation for another undisclosed case.

Wolf-Tilman Baumert, the attorney general in charge of the case, said, as reported by The Independent:

“If found guilty, they face a fine or a prison sentence of up to five years. »

A spokesperson for the prosecution also confirmed that the arrests had taken place. They commented, as quoted by Mirror:

“We are investigating a case of blackmail against a celebrity and have executed arrest warrants in this case. We cannot provide any additional information at this time. »

The Schumacher family, still bonded by the trauma of Michael's near-fatal skiing accident in December 2013, had to deal not only with his health problems, but also with violations of his privacy. Since his tragic accident in Méribel, in the French Alps, which resulted in a serious brain injury, Schumacher has been monitored at home by medical professionals and his wife, Corinna. Although he retired in 2012 after a distinguished career that included 91 race victories and seven F1 championship titles, Michael Schumacher remains a beloved figure in the world of motorsport.

German law enforcement used “technical measures” to track and apprehend the blackmail suspects, both of whom remain anonymous in public reports due to privacy protections under German law.

The incident comes after the family won another privacy-related legal battle against a German magazine that falsely broadcast an AI-generated “interview” with Schumacher, presenting it as the first since the ski accident.

Speaking during the 2021 Netflix documentary, 'Schumacher,' Corinna gave fans a brief update, saying:

“Michael is there. Different, but he is there, and that gives us strength, I think. We are together. We live together at home. We go to therapy. We do everything we can to make sure Michael is okay. better and make him feel comfortable. And just make him feel our family, our bond. And whatever happens, I will do everything I can.

“We try to continue living as a family, as Michael loved and still does. And we are getting back to our lives. 'Private is private,' as he always said. It's very important to me so that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael has always protected us and now we protect Michael.