Bombshell new details have emerged around the $A23.4 million blackmail plot on Michael Schumacher and his family.
German police have been leading investigations into the Formula One legend’s bodyguard and two others who have been accused of threatening his loved ones, The Sun reports.
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One of the people allegedly in charge of the sickening plot is Michael’s former bodyguard known as Markus F.
He was allowed inside the famous Schumacher inner circle for upwards of eight years as Michael’s wife Corinna felt he was a trusted aide.
Earlier this year, the relationship drastically declined as Corinna was forced to let Markus go due to changes to her husband’s care plan.
This allegedly turned him bitter as he started to hatch a plan to extort the Schumacher family, the MailOnline reports.
Markus had access to private information around the health and wellbeing of the seven time world champion and is believed to have started conspiring to reveal it all on the dark web.
Corinna has made sure the health of her 55-year-old husband has remained a closely guarded secret since his 2013 skiing accident.
Markus’ thwarted plan saw him allegedly steal 1,500 secret files from the Schumacher family home.
This sensitive material was believed to have been uploaded onto four USB sticks and two hard drives in the days prior to Markus being let go.
The content included photos, videos, medication lists and even Schumacher’s patient file, BILD reported back in July.
After stealing the information, Markus is then believed to have recruited long-term pal and local bouncer Yilmaz T, say German authorities.
Yilmaz then allegedly used his son Daniel L to help him make contact with the Schumacher family and begin trying to extort them.
Some of the files were even sent to his family as proof via email, prosecutors say.
The trio threatened to sell the content on the dark web where it could have been dumped into the public domain, German media alleges.
They are accused of asking Corinna for $23.4 million to return the files.
Yilmaz – who had known Markus for over 20 years – was allegedly promised a small commission in return for his help.
On July 4, officers arrested Markus in his apartment in Wülfrath.
They also detained Yilmaz and his son Daniel L. for the alleged blackmail plot.
Authorities said they were able to track down the alleged extortionists through “technical measures”.
Yilmaz T has been charged with extortion and remains in custody.
Daniel L is accused of aiding and abetting extortion but is out on bail.
Markus is also out on bail, it is believed.
The men’s trial is set to take place in December in Wuppertal.
Prosecutors are asking for the men to spend at least four years behind bars if found guilty.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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