Tech entrepreneur and antivirus software pioneer John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell near Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday. According to news reports this took place hours after Spain’s High Court ruled he could be extradited to the United States, where he faced tax evasion charges that carried a sentence of up to 30 years.
McAfee apparently hanged himself, his lawyer told Reuters news agency.
A statement released by the Catalan provincial government confirmed that a 75-year-old US citizen was found dead in his prison cell.
An unnamed government source told the Associated Press the statement referred to McAfee.
US federal prosecutors in Tennessee charged McAfee with evading taxes and willfully failing to file tax returns to disclose income made from promoting cryptocurrencies, speaking engagements and selling the documentary rights to his life story.
He was also charged in a separate cryptocurrency fraud case in New York.
McAfee, who was known for eccentric behaviour, was arrested in October 2020 at Barcelona’s international airport.
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