The creator of the antivirus software of the same name, John McAfee, was indicted on Monday by the United States Department of Justice for tax evasion and failure to file a tax return, ending years of erratic behavior by the tech entrepreneur.
Key aspects
The prosecution claims John McAfee would have made millions from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting and selling his life story rights to a documentary, but would not file tax returns from 2014 to 2018.
Authorities also claim that McAfee has hidden assets from the IRS (the US government agency responsible for collecting taxes), including real estate, a yacht, a car and an amount in cryptocurrencies.
He was indicted on June 15, but the document was opened on Monday after he was arrested in Spain, where he awaits extradition to the United States.
McAfee admitted last year not to pay taxes in a video posted on Twitter, where he also said he was fleeing the country and running for president “in exile” due to an IRS investigation.
John McAfee is also facing other legal issues: on Monday he was sued by the SEC for improperly promoting cryptocurrency ICOs.
Crucial quote
“People say: ‘Just pay income taxes and go home’. F * ck no !! Income tax is unconstitutional. Let’s stop believing that giving in will solve problems! It simply enlarges them! McAfee tweeted in June 2019.
Background context
Since starting the software company of the same name in the 1980s and then selling his shares in the 1990s, John McAfee has exhibited sometimes bizarre behavior. He fled to Belize after the 2008 recession, where he was involved in the investigation into the murder of his neighbor. He denied any involvement in the murder and was never arrested or charged with a crime. After attempting to hide in Guatemala, he was eventually extradited back to the United States, where he later met his wife Janice Dyson McAfee and moved to Tennessee.
John McAfee also sought to run for the presidency of the United States this year as an independent. On his campaign website, he claims that his only programmatic platform is to “free” the people because the government “has become our master, controlling our every action, down to the details of what we can or can’t put into our bodies and in our minds “.
What to watch
His Twitter account chronicles his most recent feats abroad after fleeing the United States. She recently tweeted about the “Deep State” and often brags about her sexual skills on social media, including a TikTok account where she wears women’s underwear with the caption “McAfeestyle. “Her Twitter biography reads:” Lover of women, adventure and mystery. ”
Summary
McAfee was charged with charges of tax evasion and intentional omission of tax returns, charges that could lead to a maximum sentence of 30 years in the event of a conviction.
