Three Men Convicted in Plot to Extort Michael Schumacher's Family

The court found Yilmaz T guilty of blackmailing the Schumacher family with sensitive personal data, while his son received a suspended sentence and a former security guard was also implicated. The family plans to appeal against what they see as lenient sentences.

Three men have been convicted in a German court for their attempt to blackmail the family of former Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher, who has been out of the public eye since a severe ski accident in 2013 that resulted in significant brain injuries. Yilmaz T, aged 53, was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to leak 900 personal photographs, nearly 600 videos, and confidential medical records of Schumacher to the dark web unless the family paid up to €15 million (£12 million).

Receiving a six-month suspended sentence for his involvement in the plot was Yilmaz’s 30-year-old son, who admitted to aiding in the extortion. Additionally, Markus F, a former security guard at the Schumacher residence, was sentenced to two years, suspended, despite denying his role in the crime. The judge emphasized Markus's culpability for enabling the blackmail.

The court learned that Yilmaz T, a nightclub bouncer residing in Constance, regarded his actions as “very, very disgusting” after reflecting on them during his time in prison. His confession revealed that he had received two hard drives from Markus F, believed to contain the stolen sensitive files. One hard drive is still unaccounted for.

The Schumacher family has maintained a rather private approach regarding Michael's health since the accident, and they alerted authorities upon receiving emails from the blackmailers containing samples of the stolen materials. Swiss local authorities, tracing the threat back to Germany, led to the trio's arrest in June 2024.

Thilo Damm, attorney for the Schumacher family, expressed dissatisfaction with the leniency of the sentences handed down, describing the crime as "the ultimate betrayal." He suggested that they would pursue further legal avenues to address the situation, particularly given the absence of one of the hard drives. "We don’t know where the missing hard drive is," Mr. Damm noted, highlighting concerns about potential further threats.