John McAfee dead: Software pioneer found in Spanish jail; suicide suspected

John McAfee, the creator of the eponymous antivirus protection software, was found dead in his Spanish prison cell after an announcement earlier Wednesday that he would be extradited to the U.S. to face charges of financial crimes, the Associated Press reported.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported that he appeared to have died by suicide, citing a statement from the regional Department of Justice of Catalonia, where he was being held.
McAfee, 75, was arrested on tax evasion charges for failing to file tax returns for four years. He had been in jail in Spain since Oct. 6, facing charges that he hid significant assets which included real estate and a yacht.

The cybersecurity pioneer’s defense had argued that the extradition request was politically motivated and therefore wasn’t appropriate. He disagreed with the current monetary system, which has made him “public enemy No. 1,” according to court documents released on Wednesday. The U.S. calculates that McAfee owed more than $4.2 million in taxes, the documents show.

The ruling came as the latest setback for McAfee’s burgeoning legal troubles. In March, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also accused him of hiding cryptocurrency income of more than $23 million. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss has said McAfee “exploited a widely used social media platform and enthusiasm among investors in the emerging cryptocurrency market to make millions through lies and deception.” Bloomberg