Eccentric Antivirus Mogul John McAfee Accused of Making Millions in Illegal Crypto Schemes
Eccentric antivirus millionaire John McAfee is facing federal charges again—this time, over a pair of alleged cryptocurrency schemes that raked in more than $13 million for himself and his accused band of scammers, including his ex-security guard turned CEO.
Manhattan federal prosecutors announced Friday that McAfee, 75, was being held in Spain on separate criminal charges by the Department of Justice’s tax division, while authorities cuffed his alleged accomplice, 40-year-old Jimmy Gale Watson Jr., in Texas.
It’s the latest trouble for the reclusive founder of the eponymous antivirus software. In October, McAfee was indicted for federal tax evasion and willfully failing to file tax returns from 2014 to 2018 and accused of hiding assets including his yacht and real property in the names of other people. At the time, prosecutors in Tennessee claimed he earned millions from promoting cryptocurrencies and even selling his life story for a documentary.