The verdict has been delivered to criminals who blackmailed the family of F1 legend Michael Schumacher

The blackmailers who extorted money from the family of legendary racing driver Michael Schumacher have been sentenced for their criminal activities, reports The Sun.

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Three defendants, including former Schumacher family confidant Markus Fritsche, appeared in court for sentencing. According to the court’s decision, Yılmaz Tozturkan and his son Daniel Lins received 3 years in prison and 6 months of suspended imprisonment, respectively. Markus Fritsche was sentenced to a 2-year suspended term, although he denied all charges.

It was revealed that Fritsche, who had close access to the Schumacher family, stole confidential files concerning the former driver's health. With Tozturkan and Lins’ help, he attempted to blackmail the family by threatening to release this information on the darknet unless they paid £12 million. Lins and Tozturkan were directly responsible for sending the threats via email.

Notably, the Schumacher family is considering appealing the verdict against Fritsche, who was charged only with aiding and abetting but not as a direct accomplice.