"I did the stupid thing": Michael Schumacher’s blackmailing attempt takes unexpected turn

The suspects at the center of a blackmailing attempt of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher and his family have expressed their remorse following a hearing in the Wuppertal District Court in Germany.

Former bodyguard Marcus Fritsche, 53, is on trial alongside his 30-year-old son, IT expert Daniel Lins, and their friend, 53-year-old Yilmaz Tozturkan. The trio stands accused of attempting to extort €15 million (approximately £13 million or $16 million) from the Schumacher family.

The family has been caring for Michael Schumacher since the devastating skiing accident he suffered in the French Alps in 2013, which left the legendary Formula 1 driver with life-altering injuries.

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The Schumacher family has been incredibly protective of Michael since his life-changing skiing accident in 2013, going to great lengths to maintain his privacy. Since the incident, they have not released any photos or interviews about his condition, keeping details of his recovery out of the public eye.

The trio is said to have demanded the money after Fritsche was dismissed from his position as Michael Schumacher’s bodyguard at the racing legend’s Swiss home in 2021, having worked for the family eight years, according to The Mirror. 

However, before his departure, Fritsche allegedly took with him 1,500 images, 200 videos, and extensive medical notes, all of which he is accused of using as leverage in the extortion plot. The stolen materials reportedly depicted Schumacher in his vulnerable state, in a hospital bed and a wheelchair, as The Independent reported.

Fritsche is said to have spoken about the allegations, per the Daily Mail, saying: "I take responsibility for it. I did the stupid thing." As per German outlet Heute, he told the lawyer representing the Schumacher family: "Please tell the family that I am really sorry."

The hearing has revealed a number of new details on the crime, including that it was Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm (pictured) who was the main contact for the blackmailing attempt.

After getting numerous phone calls from an unknown number, Kehm eventually spoke to "a man who said he had pictures of Michael, he said that if the family didn’t want them published onto the dark web he could help."

"He said he was a go between, and we would have to pay 15 million euro, he said the money was for the pictures and his go between service."

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The stolen material was allegedly sent via a secure email address set up by Daniel Lins for his father, Marcus Fritsche, in June of this year. The files were delivered to Schumacher’s office at his family home in Gland, Switzerland. Upon receiving the material, Kehm immediately alerted the authorities. Two weeks later, police arrested Fritsche, Lins, and their accomplice, Yilmaz Tozturkan.

Noah Tozturkan, the son of Yilmaz Tozturkan, had given a sensational interview outside the courtroom with German broadcaster Welt, professing his innocence... or at least by his own definition: "Blackmail is when I threaten someone with violence. But if I go to you now and say, 'I have something here, do you want to buy it,' that is not blackmail."

"In my opinion it was a sales pitch – agreed with lawyers and contracts. In my opinion it was not blackmail," he told Welt as reported by the Daily Mail.

Outside the trio facing the charges, a former nurse employed by the Schumacher family has also been implicated – but not charged – in relation to where the sensitive images actually came from.

Sabine Kehm (pictured with Corinna Schumacher) said as soon as she saw the images, she knew they had to have come from somebody within the family’s inner circle, as the Daily Mail reported. While Fritsche had spent eight years working for the Schumachers, it has been alleged in court that the images may have been sourced from another party. 

Kehm reportedly told the court that she had harbored suspicions about and issues with the nurse, who was reportedly close to Fritsche, before she left her position in 2020, according to The Independent.

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