Teenage Drug Lord Who Inspired Netflix Series Remains Free Despite Charges Because He Is Too Famous To Be Jailed

This man who made a fortune selling over a tonne of drugs online as a teenager and who was then the subject of a Netflix TV series is set to remain free despite charges because he is apparently too famous to be jailed.

‘Shiny Flakes’, real name Maximilian Schmidt, now 27, was jailed for seven years in Germany when he was still a teenager, but he reportedly spent very little time behind bars because he was always being called as a witness to numerous other trials connected to his online drug dealing.

Schmidt was found guilty of having sold cannabis, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and speed online to customers all over the world. He reportedly sold all types of drugs apart from heroin.

The teenage drug lord Maximilian Schmidt, 27, aka Shiny Flakes, who inspired Netflix series is released from behind bars. (@shiny.flakes_/Newsflash)

He was reportedly caught when he was just 19 years old after becoming sloppy and making mistakes with the addresses on his packages, which allowed the authorities to catch up with him. He was sentenced to seven years in prison over his online drug empire at the age of 20.

And despite now facing between six and nine years in prison for having allegedly dealt drugs during his probationary period, prosecutors have decided to leave him free, deeming that his notoriety would make it difficult for him to escape the country without being recognised.

The Netflix TV Series ‘How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)’, which is now in its third season after launching in 2019, is based on Schmidt’s story. A Netflix documentary called ‘Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord’, was also made, being released on the popular streaming platform in 2021.

The teenage drug lord Maximilian Schmidt, 27, aka Shiny Flakes, who inspired Netflix series is released from behind bars. (@shiny.flakes_/Newsflash)

And now despite facing new charges for allegedly selling drugs during his probationary period, the young man from Leipzig is not currently behind bars, reportedly due to his notoriety.

An anonymous source from the German judiciary told the daily Bild: “An arrest warrant was not issued because the case, the reason for his arrest, and the gentleman himself are already well known in the media and therefore it was deemed that there was no risk of him absconding.”

It is currently unclear when the next trial date will take place.