Update: McAfee found dead in cell after extradition approved

By Aritz Parra, Renata Brito and Barry Hatton | Associated Press

MADRID — John McAfee, the creator of McAfee antivirus software, was recovered dormant successful his jailhouse compartment adjacent Barcelona successful an evident termination Wednesday, hours aft a Spanish tribunal approved his extradition to the United States to look taxation charges punishable by decades successful prison, authorities said.

The eccentric cryptocurrency promoter and taxation hostile whose past of ineligible troubles spanned from Tennessee to Central America to the Caribbean was discovered astatine the Brians 2 penitentiary successful northeastern Spain. Security unit tried to revive him, but the jail’s aesculapian squad yet certified his death, a connection from the determination Catalan authorities said.

“A judicial delegation has arrived to analyse the causes of death,” the connection said, adding that “everything points to decease by suicide.”

The connection didn’t place McAfee by sanction but said the dormant antheral was a 75-year-old U.S. national awaiting extradition to his country. A Catalan authorities authoritative acquainted with the lawsuit who was not authorized to beryllium named successful media reports confirmed to The Associated Press that it was McAfee.

Spain’s National Court connected Monday ruled successful favour of extraditing McAfee, 75, who had argued successful a proceeding earlier this period that the charges against him by prosecutors successful Tennessee were politically motivated and that helium would walk the remainder of his beingness successful situation if returned to the U.S.

The court’s ruling was made nationalist connected Wednesday and was unfastened for appeal, with immoderate last extradition bid besides needing to get support from the Spanish Cabinet.

The entrepreneur was arrested past October astatine Barcelona’s planetary airport. A justice ordered astatine that clip that McAfee should beryllium held successful jailhouse portion awaiting the result of extradition proceedings.

McAfee had been charged the aforesaid period successful Tennessee with evading taxes aft failing to study income from promoting cryptocurrencies portion helium did consulting work, made speaking engagements and sold the rights to his beingness communicative for a documentary. The transgression charges carried a situation condemnation of up to 30 years.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office successful Memphis declined to remark Wednesday.

Born successful England’s Gloucestershire successful 1945 arsenic John David McAfee, helium started McAfee Associates successful 1987 and led an eccentric beingness aft selling his involvement successful the antivirus bundle institution named aft him successful the aboriginal 1990s.

McAfee doubly made long-shot runs for the U.S. presidency and was a subordinate successful Libertarian Party statesmanlike debates successful 2016. He dabbled successful yoga, ultra-light craft and producing herbal medications.

In July 2019 helium was released from detention successful the Dominican Republic aft helium and 5 others were suspected of traveling connected a yacht carrying high-caliber weapons, ammunition and military-style gear, officials connected the Caribbean land said astatine the time.

From our archives: John McAfee vows to marque the net ‘impossible to hack’

McAfee told Wired Magazine successful 2012 that his father, a dense drinker and “very unhappy man,” changeable himself erstwhile McAfee was 15. “Every time I aftermath up with him,” helium told Wired.

In an interrogation with British paper The Independent, McAfee said his acquisition of being successful a Spanish situation was a “fascinating adventure” and helium planned ne'er to instrumentality to the U.S.

“I americium perpetually amused and sometimes moved. The graffiti unsocial could capable a thousand-page thriller,” helium was quoted arsenic saying. “A fewer of my chap prisoners person confided successful maine tiny pieces of their lives.”

He besides told The Independent that prisoners and guards had recognized him and immoderate asked for his autograph.

McAfee said his main constituent of interaction extracurricular the situation was his wife, Janice McAfee. The past station from his Twitter relationship was a retweet of a Father’s Day connection from her.

“These 8 months John has spent successful situation successful Spain person been particularly hard connected his wide wellness some mentally and physically, arsenic good arsenic financially, but helium is undeterred from continuing to talk information to power,” it said.

The U.S. embassy successful Madrid didn’t instantly respond to requests for comment.

California chipmaker Intel, which bought McAfee’s institution successful 2011 for $7.68 billion, for a clip sought to dissociate the marque from its arguable laminitis by folding it into its larger cybersecurity division. But the rebranding was short-lived, and Intel successful 2016 spun retired the cybersecurity portion into a caller institution called McAfee.

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain, Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Adrian Sainz successful Memphis, Tenn., Barbara Ortutay successful Oakland and David Hamilton successful San Francisco contributed.