Madrid, Spain:
Antivirus software program pioneer John McAfee was discovered dead in his jail cell in Spain on Wednesday, a prison official stated, shortly soon after a court authorized his extradition to the United States exactly where he was wanted for tax evasion.
The 75-year-old was discovered dead in his cell in the Brians 2 penitentiary close to Barcelona “apparently from suicide”, a spokeswoman for the prison technique in the northeastern Catalonia area stated, confirming media reports. She gave no additional information.
McAfee has been in jail in Spain because he was arrested at Barcelona airport in October 2020, just as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul.
He is alleged to have deliberately failed to file tax returns among 2014 and 2018, in spite of earning millions from consulting work, cryptocurrencies and promoting the rights to his life story.
If convicted, he could have faced up to 30 years in prison.
Spain’s National Court earlier on Wednesday stated it had authorized his extradition to the United States.
The selection could nonetheless have been appealed and the extradition would also have required approval from the Spanish cabinet.
According to the US extradition request filed in November and quoted in the ruling, McAfee earned more than 10 million euros ($12 million) in the 4 years in query, but never ever filed a tax return.
“To conceal his income and assets from the Internal Revenue Service… the defendant ordered part of his income to be paid to straw men and placed property in their names,” it stated.
The Spanish court selection only referred to offences that took spot among 2016 and 2018.
Since creating a fortune in the 1980s with the antivirus software program that nonetheless bears his name, McAfee had grow to be a self-styled crypto-currency guru, claiming to make $2,000 a day.
He has more than one million followers on Twitter.
In a tweet on June 16, he stated the US authorities believed he had “hidden crypto. I wish I did” he stated.
“My remaining assets are all seized. My friends evaporated through fear of association. I have nothing. Yet, I regret nothing.”
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