Attempted blackmail against Michael Schumacher's family: court issues verdict

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Last summer, several individuals attempted to extort money from the Schumacher family.

Investigations led prosecutors in the city of Wuppertal, Germany, to discover files containing stolen photos of the former Ferrari driver's family. These private images depicted Schumacher after his skiing accident in December 2013. The blackmail was straightforward: either £12 million was paid, or the pictures would be released on the Dark Web.

The Schumacher family immediately contacted German authorities, who launched an investigation. By September, prosecutors announced that the first charges had been filed against three men. Months later, the verdict arrived.

During the trial, which began in December, it emerged that Markus Fritsche, a former bodyguard of Michael Schumacher, had downloaded sensitive files onto his computer before passing them to Yilmaz Tozturkan, a nightclub bouncer.

Yilmaz Tozturkan then attempted to extort the seven-time world champion's family. His son, Daniel Lins, an IT specialist, was reportedly tasked with uploading the photos to the Dark Web.

During the trial, *The Guardian* reported that Yilmaz Tozturkan denied the blackmail allegations, insisting that they were merely offering the family a "business deal." The bouncer had a criminal record and had previously served time for an unrelated offense.

In recent hours, the district court of Wuppertal has issued its ruling.

Blackmail Attempt on Schumacher Family: Three People Convicted

Yilmaz Tozturkan has been sentenced to three years in prison, while his son Daniel Lins received a six-month suspended sentence. Markus Fritsche was sentenced to two years in prison, also with a suspended sentence.

According to *The Guardian*, the Schumacher family is reportedly dissatisfied with the court's verdict. There are also concerns over the handling of the investigation, as the hard drive containing sensitive material has not yet been recovered. This remains a potential threat.

The family's lawyer, Thilo Damm, stated: "We do not agree with everything the court has said. Rest assured, we will exhaust all legal options available to us. We do not know where the missing hard drive is, meaning there is still a possibility of another threat emerging."

Source: f1ingenerale

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