Shiny_Flakes is a historical figure in Germany’s crime circles – as the teen that managed to leave the police absolutely stumped as he created a crime ring from his bedroom.
From the safety of his mum’s house, Shiny_Flakes would make a killing thanks to a simple website and a lot of hustle.
Now, he’s centre stage in a true crime documentary on Netflix.
As he prepares to tell his story, here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Shiny_Flakes?
The crime lord’s real name is Maximilian Schmidt. He was 19 when he was arrested for being an online drug lord.
He is described as being unpopular at school and emotionally immature. Schmidt’s own mum said in court he’s ‘grumpy, stubborn and lazy’. Before becoming a drug dealer, he had an apprenticeship as a chef but he dropped out.
On Schmidt’s character, experts said he ‘doesn’t interact well socially’ and may not be aware of the impact of his actions.
Starting his business by launching a website in December 2013, Schmidt would sell hundreds of kilos of drugs as he sat at home. This includes cocaine, meth and marijuana.
Explaining his simple business model, he explains: “You paid upfront, then it was processed and shipped. Instead of shoes, you got drugs.”
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Earnings and payments would be difficult to trace as punters would pay him with Bitcoin. He also delivered the drugs by post, resulting in trouble tracing it back to the source.
Any money he did receive was marked as ‘income for a web design business’.
His efforts resulted in €4.1million (£3.8milion) in illegal narcotics selling from the Shinyflakes.com website.
In bragging about his business online, Schmidt got cocky, with an interview in Vice explaining how he’s getting away with it.
In doing so, he said he lived in Germany.
When was Shiny_Flakes caught?
In December 2015, Schmidt was arrested after German police caught up with him.
While he may have been one of the biggest drug lords the country has ever seen, nonetheless Schmidt was tried as a minor.
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As a result of this, he is serving a lighter sentence than most adults.
He is now serving seven years in jail, but doesn’t seem to mind in the look at the documentary.
Despite their best efforts, Police believe he is still hiding millions in secret Bitcoin wallets online.
His story is now also central to Netflix film How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast).
Schmidt is due to release in 2022
Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord is available now on Netflix.
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