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Reports have emerged that the orchestrator of the Michael Schumacher blackmail plot threatened to release “intimate” photographs of the critically injured racing star, as revealed in a German court.
A former security guard for the Schumacher family is said to have sought “revenge” after being fired from his position earlier this year.
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Markus F, 53, reportedly felt resentful after his dismissal and allegedly conspired with two accomplices to defraud the wealthy family out of millions.
German authorities have taken charge of the investigations, with the three men facing a hearing at Wuppertal District Court near Dortmund this week.
A staff member from the Schumacher household testified that she had discovered emails revealing Markus’s intent to demand payment to keep the private photos from being disclosed.
Heike Puschmann recounted that the men held images of Michael in his wheelchair and threatened to publish them on the dark web.
read more in blackmail plot
She stated in court: “Emails indicated that he expressed if he did not receive his payment, he would target the Schumacher family.”
Puschmann, an employee for the Schumachers, mentioned that she could not recall the specific amount of money requested in the communications.
However, she believed it to be less than three months’ salary for the former security guard at that time.
To date, Markus has refrained from speaking in court, only confirming his name and address.
The intimate photos are just part of a larger collection of 1,500 sensitive files believed to have been stolen from the Schumacher family’s home.
This sensitive information was saved onto four USB drives and two hard disks shortly before Markus’s termination, according to prosecutors.
Emails were written in which he said if he didn’t get his pay he would go after the Schumacher family
Heike Puschmann
Reportedly, the materials included photographs, videos, medical records, and even Schumacher’s medical file, as stated by BILD back in July.
Markus is accused of misappropriating this data and subsequently involving a longtime associate and local bouncer Yilmaz T, 53, as per the German law enforcement.
Yilmaz allegedly involved his son Daniel L to help him make contact with the Schumacher family, before attempting to extort them.
Police have indicated that the total amount they sought was around £12 million.
Yilmaz, who has known Markus for over two decades, was reportedly promised a small commission for his assistance.
The German authorities swiftly intervened to halt the scheme shortly after the initial contact was made with the Schumacher family.
When the men first appeared in court, Markus’s lawyer claimed he had been asked by Corinna to digitize images taken of her husband.
This included the private images.
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However, it has come to light that one of the hard drives that may still hold data regarding the F1 legend has reportedly gone missing.
Authorities mentioned they could utilize “technical measures” to track the alleged extortionists.
On July 4, police detained Markus at his residence in Wülfrath.
They subsequently arrested Yilmaz and his son Daniel L for their respective roles in the alleged blackmail plot.
All three face charges and are currently amid court proceedings.
Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of at least four years upon their conviction.
During the proceedings at Wuppertal District Court, Yilmaz T asserted his innocence, claiming that his actions were intended solely to aid an economically distressed nurse.
I didn’t think there was anything bad about it. He said he had photos of a person and wanted to sell them
Daniel L
Daniel has admitted to his involvement but maintains he was unaware of the nature of the transmitted content as part of the scheme.
He faces charges for providing his father with an untraceable Gmail address.
He is also accused of transmitting the illicit images on behalf of his father.
Daniel stated: “I didn’t see the content. My dad just said that it was a legal, normal affair, whereby there was a layer involved, and that was it for me, so I didn’t ask any more questions.
“I didn’t think there was anything bad about it. He said he had photos of a person and wanted to sell them.
“I didn’t ask my father what it was all about. It is my father. So I just thought, yeah, okay, and that was it.”
Corinna Schumacher, 55, has made a formal request to safeguard her husband during the trial.
She seeks to exclude the public from proceedings if the current state of health of the seven-time champion is addressed.
Corinna has spent more than a decade establishing a close-knit group of people permitted to know about Michael’s health since his life-altering skiing accident.
The F1 legend has not been seen or heard from since that incident, with limited information released regarding his current condition.
What happened to Michael Schumacher?
MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was perilously close to an end over a decade ago as medical personnel worked tirelessly to keep him alive after a tragic skiing accident.
The F1 icon sustained severe brain injuries and spent 250 days in a coma.
He received top-tier medical care as he underwent numerous complex surgeries on his brain.
In 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, along with his then 14-year-old son, ventured onto the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.
Helmet camera footage revealed that he was not traveling at high speed when his skis hit a rock concealed beneath the snow.
He was propelled 11.5 feet forward and crashed headfirst into a boulder that shattered his helmet, necessitating airlift to the hospital for two life-saving operations.
At one juncture, his family was informed to prepare for the worst-case scenario, as the situation was significantly worse than initially believed.
At that moment, medical professionals indicated that Schumacher would likely remain in an induced coma for at least 48 hours while he recuperated.
However, the coma lasted for 250 days — more than eight months.
After awakening in June 2014, he was released from the hospital and returned to his residence in Lake Geneva for continued treatment.
Since then, his wife Corinna and their close friends have diligently worked to keep information regarding his health status private.
Only sparse details have surfaced, including reports suggesting Schumacher is in a wheelchair but can respond to his surroundings.
In 2019, it was reported that Schumacher was to undergo innovative stem cell therapy aimed at regenerating his nervous system.
Renowned French cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had previously operated on him, was scheduled to conduct the treatment using cells derived from his heart, directed to his brain.
Following treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was reported to be “awake,” although further details about his condition were limited.
