F1 News: Two arrested trying to blackmail Schumacher Family (Update)

(GMM) Blackmailers threatened to release photos of the injured Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, according to Germany’s biggest newspaper Bild.

According to another German-language newspaper, Austria’s Kleine Zeitung, German public investigators and prosecutors “found private photos in the possession” of two men who were trying to blackmail the Schumacher family.

“The suspects, who are said to be father and son, were arrested by Hessian police on June 19,” said the article. “They are said to have tried to extort millions from the family of the former Formula 1 driver.”

“According to the public prosecutor’s office, the suspects told family members that they had files that the (Schumacher) family might be interested in not publishing. They then threatened to publish them on the dark net,” Kleine Zeitung added.

“The two men, aged 30 and 53, also sent materials to the (Schumacher) family to prove ownership of the files.”

Bild newspaper, meanwhile, claims the photos in question “are said to depict Schumacher after his skiing accident”.

And yet another newspaper, Sudkurier, one of the blackmailers “offered the material to two people more than two years ago so that they could carry out the blackmail together, but they refused.”

Senior public prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert confirmed in a statement that the materials in the blackmailers’ possession included, “among other things, photo files relating to the Schumacher family’s private life”.

The same Wuppertal prosecutor is also quoted as saying by the German broadcaster RTL: “For investigative tactical reasons, we do not currently want to provide any further information about what exactly can be seen in the photos.”

Two men have been arrested over a blackmail plot against the family of 7-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher.

German cops claim the pair of alleged criminals planned to extort millions from the Schumacher’s as part of the terrible ordeal.

The two men from Wuppertal, Germany were caught on Wednesday and are waiting to be taken into court.

The exact details around the failed extortion attempt are unknown.

Wolf-Tilman Baumert, spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, told BILD: “We are investigating a case of blackmail to the detriment of a celebrity and have executed arrest warrants in this case.

“We cannot provide any further information at this time.”