German prosecutors say criminals tried to blackmail the family of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher. They allegedly demanded millions to keep quiet.
Prosecutors in Wuppertal on Monday said it was pursuing a blackmail investigation against at least two individuals accused of trying to blackmail the family of German F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
Having already said last week that two people had been arrested around a week ago on suspicion of attempted blackmail „to the disadvantage of a celebrity,“ Wuppertal prosecutors on Monday confirmed subsequent media reports that the suspects had been targeting the Schumacher family.
According to prosecutors, the suspects told the family that they possessed information the Schumachers would not want to be released in public. They demanded a payment „in the millions“ in exchange for not sharing the information via the dark web. The suspects also sent some of the information to the family in a bid to demonstrate their credentials, investigators said.
Investigators used „technical means“ to ascertain that the blackmailers had been operating from the western German city of Wuppertal.
The suspects are 53- and 30-year men, father and son, who were already on bail for another crime. As of Monday, they were in investigative detention after being collared on June 19.
Schumacher, until recently the most successful F1 driver of all time, suffered serious cranial injuries in a skiing accident in 2013. Although exact details on the 55-year-old’s condition are not clear, he has made no public appearances since and does not appear likely to. His family has repeatedly appealed for privacy.
