John McAfee, the creator of antivirus software McAfee, was found dead inside his prison cell in Spain shortly after receiving an extradition order that would have sent him back to the United States.
Authorities found the 75-year-old magnate lifeless on Wednesday at around 1:00 p.m. E.T. A Superior Court of Catalonia spokeswoman announced the death of the mogul and said an investigation was looking into the cause of death.
The Catalonia regional government Justice Department released a statement, saying prison medical personnel and guards performed life-saving procedures and tried to resuscitate McAfee. However, they were unsuccessful. They believed that early evidence suggested the victim committed suicide.
Tax Evasion Case
Before McAfee's death, a three-judge panel at Spain's National Court in Madrid ruled this week that he would be extradited to the United States and that he would face his criminal charges there. Court documents alleged the deceased failed to file taxes for four years between 2014 and 2018 despite earning millions from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life for a documentary film. The indictment did not specify the amount that he owed, CNN reported.
Earlier this month, McAfee argued in a virtual hearing in a Spanish court that the charges of tax evasion against him were politically motivated. But in March, he was also indicted on a separate case for fraud and money laundering charges. Allegedly, McAfee and a business partner conducted a scheme where they profited over $13 million by falsely promoting cryptocurrencies to investors who were not aware of the market in its entirety.
The software creator disappeared for a short while in 2012 after police attempted to question him regarding the death of his neighbor in Belize. He later argued he was not involved with the incident and only fled his home in fear for his life.
McAfee was arrested and detained on October 3 last year at the Barcelona airport just before he boarded a flight heading to Istanbul, Spanish police said. He had a successful career, working with NASA, Xerox, and Lockheed Martin before he founded the first antivirus software in 1987. In 2011, he sold his company to Inter and was no longer involved with the business.
Despite selling off the antivirus, it still carries its name and has over 500 million users worldwide, Reuters reported.
McAfee's Imprisonment
Javier Villalba, McAfee's lawyer, noted that despite his client still being able to appeal his conviction, he could not stand another day in jail. The lawyer said the cruel system had no justifiable reason to keep McAfee locked up for so long. U.S. prosecutors would most likely ask the judge overseeing McAfee's tax evasion case to dismiss the charges due to his death.
In 2019, McAfee said not paying his taxes for eights was due to ideological reasons. He left the United States that same year to avoid trial, spending his days with his wife, four large dogs, two security guards, and seven staff on his megayacht.
He previously tried to help Cuba avoid a U.S. trade embargo using cryptocurrency. He also aimed to run for the American presidency under the Libertarian Party in 2020.
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