German prosecutors said Wednesday they were bringing charges against three men arrested this year over a blackmail plot targeting the family of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher
a 53-year-old man from the western city of Wuppertal
had threatened to release private photos and videos and demanded 15 million euros from Schumacher's family
These allegedly included images of the seven-time Formula One champion before and after the 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps which left him with a serious brain injury
The images allegedly came from another 53-year-old
who worked as a security guard for the Schumacher family until 2021
He is suspected of having sold the material for a "five figure" sum and could face a "considerable" jail term on charges of being an accomplice to attempted blackmail and breach of privacy
Prosecutors say the chief suspect rang an employee of the Schumacher family several times in June this year to demand the money
He allegedly threatened to leak the images onto the so-called "dark net" if money was not paid
The chief suspect faces charges of attempted blackmail with a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years
although prosecutors say the punishment could be reduced as the threat was not followed through.
The Wuppertal man's 30-year-old son has been charged with being an accomplice to blackmail
as his father had asked him to create an untraceable email address
This was used to send the Schumacher family samples of the blackmail material
The family alerted authorities in Switzerland
where Schumacher has been cared for at his family home since the accident
Swiss investigators traced the plot to Germany through the phone number used to call the family
please register for free or log in to your account
We deliver! Get curated industry news straight to your inbox. Subscribe to Adweek newsletters
Brands and agencies have been seemingly unruffled about a potential TikTok ban becoming a reality in the U.S.—until now
After the Supreme Court displayed skepticism on Friday while hearing oral arguments in two cases taking aim at the legality of a ban
agencies are now seriously seeking out alternative places for their clients’ media dollars
While many are waiting to see how the chips fall on Jan. 19, when the ban is set to take effect
several agencies told ADWEEK their contingency plans are well under way
with a handful advising clients to pause spending on the platform
is pausing all client spend on TikTok and shifting to alternatives like Instagram and YouTube
Subscribe now for unlimited access to exclusive insider reporting
I want to receive emails from Adweek about products
services and events that they feel may be of interest to me
I want to receive emails from Adweek on behalf of carefully-selected third party partners about products
By submitting your information you agree to Adweek's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and you will begin receiving our newsletters
I understand by creating an account, I agree to Adweek’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and that I may review and update my marketing preferences at any time
A code has been sent to your email address
By subscribing you agree to Adweek’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Automatic Renewal and Cancellation By subscribing, you agree to the terms of sale, including the Cancellation and Refund Policy
You authorize Adweek.com to charge your credit/debit card at the annual subscription price at the amount noted above now and in time to automatically renew your Adweek.com subscription every year
before the start of each new 12-month term unless you tell us to stop. Renewal rates are subject to change at any time with or without notice
your service will continue without interruption
The cancellation goes into effect at the start of the following billing cycle
contact customer service at 844.674.8161 (U.S.) or 845.267.3007 (Outside U.S.)
Kyle O’Brien was a staff reporter for Adweek and editor of AgencySpy
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem
More
Take note – story published 2 years and 5 months ago
It was a truly special performance. A school ensemble from Germany took the stage at Riga Jewish Community with a fairy-tale opera that once was performed by imprisoned Jewish children in the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Second World War
Fifty-five students and teachers from the Gymnasium Wülfrath in North Rhine-Westphalia presented the work November 8 in the festive hall of the Jewish community building
Children’s play Brundibár is a short musical theatrical performance about solidarity and the triumph of good over evil
The performance on the eve of the 84th anniversary of the Nazi 'Kristallnacht' pogrom on the night of November 9, 1938 was intended to commemorate the children murdered in the Holocaust
Brundibár was composed in 1939 by the Czech-Jewish composer Hans Krása (1899-1944) with lyrics by the librettist Adolf Hoffmeister
The opera was performed dozens of times by Jewish children held in the Theresienstadt ghetto in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia
The performances were supposed to give the imprisoned children back a piece of normality and joy – with footage from it being also used for a Nazi propaganda film
But the cast continually changed as the participants were deported to concentration camps during the Holocaust
Rīga was the destination of the first transports from Theresienstadt
which is also often referred to as Terezin
"Although on the one hand Brundibár is music abused by mass murderers
its lasting up to our time on the other hand illustrates the victory of humanity over the inhumanity of the Nazis," a tenth-grade student from Wülfrath told the audience before the performance in Rīga
Among approximately 200 spectators were students from the Rīga Simon Dubnov Jewish Secondary School and members of the Jewish community in Latvia
as well the German ambassador to Latvia
and high representatives of the embassies of Israel and the Czech Republic
The opera tells the story of a fatherless poor sister and brother named Aninka and Pepíček who need to buy fresh milk for their sick mother
Seeing the town’s organ grinder Brundibár making money on the streets with his music
they also decide to sing in the market square to raise the much-needed funds
But Brundibár mocks the children and chases them away
Brundibár then tries to steal their earrings
but the children of the town band together and manage to overcome the bully
"The performance was something very special and so touching
It was really a wonderful experience to be in that hall and seeing all of these young people on stage
wholeheartedly playing and singing together," said Gita Umanovska
Executive Director of the Council of Jewish Communities in Latvia
but has no overt references to the conditions under which it was written and performed
Umanovska applauded the musical performance as a new
contemporary way of commemorating the past for young people that is also looking to the future
The school’s headmaster Joachim Busch said he considered it a "great honour and pleasure" to perform at the Rīga Jewish community with a project that in many respects has been a big challenge for the school's orchestra and choir
this invitation is an enormous symbol of being bonded together," said the teacher
Busch took over the role of Brundibár in a production with a large cast that featured many small solo parts
And even if some of the young voices came over more strongly and clearly than others
all shared a winning vitality and joy that took over the enthusiastically applauding audience
The first and only staging in Rīga will not be repeated but the German school ensemble plans another performance of Brundibár in February 2023 in Israel
The initiative for the performance of the school ensemble in Rīga goes to Klaus-Peter Rex
The retired pastor and former teacher of the Wülfrath Gymnasium has a long-standing cooperation with the Jewish Community in Latvia
The school children’s trip to Rīga was supported by the Office of the Anti-Semitism Commissioner for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
In a statement the former German Minister of Justice called the performance of the opera in connection with the history of the play "a reminder of our responsibility to continue to fight daily anti-Semitism in its various forms
Latvia became a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2004
For an overview of the Holocaust in Latvia, we recommend the virtual exhibition of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia which provides a detailed and thought-provoking explanation of what happened in those dark days including the liquidation of the Rīga ghetto and details of the Nazi camps located on Latvian soil
This piece from our archive traces the events linked to the Rīga Ghetto.
We would also point you towards this short documentary from LTV
which shows all-too-clearly how Hitler's genocidal mania filtered down to small-town Latvia
all but wiping out a vibrant and important section of Latvian society
Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor
Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor
Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker
Bike Europe is a part of VMNmedia. The following rules apply to the use of this site: Terms of Use and Privacy / Cookie Statement | Privacy settings
Welcome to IPE Real Assets. This site uses cookies. Read our policy
a joint venture between Swiss Life Asset Managers
has announced plans to develop two logistics facilities in Wülfrath
The assets are being developed on a 95,000-sm2 site formerly used by Knorr-Bremse
Ford and Volkswagen and recently acquired from the Irish group Lanber Properties for an undisclosed amount
The brownfield site is planned to accommodate 50,000 m2 of space on completion in spring 2023
Demolition work is scheduled to start next month
with construction work due to begin in spring 2022
The transaction was brokered by BNP Paribas. 'The acquisition of this site in the Düsseldorf catchment area allows us to develop large modern and contiguous logistics space on a speculative basis thanks to the substantial financial firepower of Swiss Life Asset Managers,' said Ingo Steves
'Demand from logistics service providers in the region is high
while the supply of units between 20,000 and 50,000 m2 is extremely low
we expect strong interest in the space we are now developing.' This second logistics development follows the recent announcement of the development of Beos Logistics’ first logistics complex: an 85,000-m2 pre-let facility in Rhein-Lippe-Hafen at DeltaPort Niederrheinhäfen in Wesel near Duisburg
Copyright © 1997–2025 IPE International Publishers Limited
Site powered by Webvision Cloud
Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisory Group named Bob Morris as a senior adviser.
"Bob is one of Sarasota and Manatee's premier commercial real estate professionals and we are proud that he is joining Sperry Van Ness," said Tony Veldkamp, the company's managing director.
With more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience, 12 of it on Florida's West Coast, Morris specializes in the sale and leasing of retail and office properties as well as land development for office, multi-family and retail.
Before coming to Florida, Morris worked in the Indianapolis mayor's office and in Washington, D.C., as executive assistant to Sen. Richard Lugar.
Morris will work from the office at 1626 Ringling Blvd., Suite 500, Sarasota.
UPS named five Southwest Florida drivers to its Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have 25 or more years of accident-free driving.
The local drivers honored were: Raymond Brunette of Venice, Brian Douthett of Bradenton, Mark Kralik of Sarasota, Mark Miller of Punta Gorda and Michael Wuelfrath of Sarasota.
Florida has 416 still-working Circle of Honor drivers.
Nadiene Raia received the President's Club Award at Money Mailer's annual conference in Huntington Beach, Calif.
The award recognizes high sales while exceeding local content requirements and showing growth.
Before joining Money Mailer in 2010, Raia was a publisher with Creative Loafing Media.
Cortez Heating & Air Conditioning's newest client is the Russell Family GNC Stores, with six locations in Sarasota and Bradenton. Bradenton-based Cortez, has a one-year annual maintenance contract for the stores.
Wuppertal (NRW) – Unglaubliche neue Details im Fall der Erpressung der Familie des siebenfachen Formel-1-Weltmeisters Michael Schumacher
Nach BILD-Informationen hatten die Beschuldigten deutlich mehr privates Material erbeutet als bislang angenommen: Die Datenmenge füllte ganze zwei Festplatten
Am Donnerstag vergangener Woche nahmen Ermittler Markus F. (52) aus Wülfrath fest – offenbar der Hintermann der versuchten Erpressung. Er hatte als Sicherheitskraft für die Familie Schumacher gearbeitet
(52) soll der Hintermann der Schumi-Erpressung sein: Er arbeitete jahrelang für die Familie des ehemaligen Rennfahrers
der bereits wegen Betruges in 100 Fällen vorbestraft ist und mindestens fünf Jahre für die Schumachers gearbeitet hatte
offenbar skrupellos das Vertrauen der Familie und nahm bei seinem Abgang Anfang 2021 wohl unzählige Daten mit
Anwalt Hoppe half schon dem Ex-Radstar Jan Ullrich
Brüder holten ihn am Knast ab: Ein Schumi-Erpresser schon wieder freiNach zweieinhalb Wochen in U-Haft kam jetzt der erste Tatverdächtige raus
Markus F., der mit seinem Beratungsunternehmen offenbar hoch verschuldet und nicht mehr kreditwürdig war, hoffte wohl, sich mit einem Verbrechen auf Kosten der Schumi-Familie sanieren zu können. Mit der Durchführung der 15-Mio.-Erpressung soll der IT-Mann Türsteher Yilmaz T. (53) aus Wuppertal beauftragt haben.
Yilmaz T. arbeitete die vergangenen Jahre als Türsteher beim „Grey“ in Konstanz. Der Club ist die größte Disco am Bodensee
Nach BILD-Informationen sagte ihm Markus F. dafür lediglich eine Provision im unteren einstelligen Millionenbereich zu. Als der Türsteher aufflog und mit seinem Sohn Daniel L. (30) verhaftet wurde, sagte er aus. Er nannte den Namen des Sicherheitsexperten und dass er von ihm die Dateien für die Erpressung erhalten haben soll. Beide sitzen weiterhin in U-Haft.
Nach zweieinhalb Wochen in Untersuchungshaft kam am Montag Daniel L. (30), der Sohn des Türstehers, gegen Auflagen frei. Sein älterer Bruder Julian hatte für ihn die Kaution in Höhe von 10 000 Euro hinterlegt. Zudem musste Daniel L. seinen Pass abgeben und sich seitdem regelmäßig bei der Polizei melden.
Julian L. (r.) nimmt seinen kleinen Bruder Daniel vor dem Knast in Empfang. Er hatte die Kaution bezahlt
Die Ermittlungen gegen ihn laufen zwar weiter, er steht aber nicht mehr im Fokus. Oberstaatsanwalt Wolf-Tilman Baumert, Sprecher der Staatsanwaltschaft Wuppertal, zu BILD: „Nach den fortgeschrittenen Ermittlungen gehen wir derzeit davon aus, dass der beschuldigte Sohn mehr als Gehilfe gehandelt haben dürfte.“
Angebote
Services
A father and son pleaded guilty in a German court Tuesday over a plot to blackmail the family of Michael Schumacher by threatening to release images of the Formula One legend
The men from Wuppertal in western Germany made the admission at the opening of their trial in the city
allegedly threatened to release private photos and videos of Schumacher and demanded 15 million euros ($15.7 million) from his family
These purportedly included images of the seven-time Formula One champion before and after a 2013 skiing accident
which left him with a serious brain injury
who is accused of supplying the photos to the other two defendants
also went on trial for his alleged part in the plot but made no admission of guilt
worked as a security guard at the Schumacher family residence in Switzerland until 2021
Prosecutors accuse the suspect of selling images of Schumacher
to the father and son for a "five-figure" sum
rang an employee of the Schumacher family several times in June this year to demand money
which were delivered from a new email address
said to have been set up by the suspected blackmailer's son
The court has scheduled a total of five hearings until mid-February
please register for free or log in to your account.