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British Computer Pioneer John McAfee Found Dead In Spanish Prison Cell

British Computer Pioneer John McAfee Found Dead In Spanish Prison Cell

This comes after the Spanish high court had authorised his extradition to the US

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Antivirus creator John McAfee has been found dead in his prison cell in Barcelona.

This comes after the 75-year-old had his extradition to the US authorised, the Catalan justice department said.

According to Reuters, everything points it could be a death by suicide.

PA

Earlier today Spain's National Court approved the extradition of the detained antivirus software entrepreneur to the US where he is wanted on tax-related criminal charges.

Tennessee prosecutors charged Mr McAfee with evading taxes after failing to report income made from promoting cryptocurrencies while he did consultancy work, as well as income from speaking engagements and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary.

The charges, which carry a prison sentence of up to 30 years, refer to the three fiscal years from 2016 to 2018, according to the Spanish court's ruling on Wednesday.

The entrepreneur was arrested last October at Barcelona's international airport. A judge ordered at that time that McAfee should be held in jail while awaiting the outcome of a hearing on extradition.

In a hearing held via video-link earlier this month, McAfee argued that the charges against him were politically motivated and said he would spend the rest of his life in prison if he was returned to the US.

PA

Claims circulated that Mr McAfee and his business contacts made more than 13 million dollars by fooling investors over the emerging cryptocurrency market.

He was charged along with Jimmy Gale Watson Jr, who served as an executive adviser on what prosecutors described as McAfee's 'so-called cryptocurrency team'.

US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement describing crimes in 2017 and 2018: "McAfee and Watson exploited a widely used social media platform and enthusiasm among investors in the emerging cryptocurrency market to make millions through lies and deception.

"The defendants allegedly used McAfee's Twitter account to publish messages to hundreds of thousands of his Twitter followers touting various cryptocurrencies through false and misleading statements to conceal their true, self-interested motives."

In July 2019, McAfee was released from detention in the Dominican Republic after he and five others were suspected of traveling on a yacht carrying high-calibre weapons, ammunition and military-style gear, officials on the Caribbean island said at the time.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: World News, News