Spanish court rules John McAfee can be extradited to the United States

Lawyers will have the opportunity to appeal the court’s decision and local lawmakers will need to approve the extradition before it is final.

John McAfee, the founder of the antivirus software company of the same name, is one step closer to facing prosecution in the United States for tax evasion.

In a ruling released today, the Spanish National Court approved the extradition of McAfee to the United States. The U.S. government had been seeking his extradition for charges including failing to submit tax returns from 2014 to 2018 and allegedly illegally profiting from “promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary.”

McAfee’s legal team will have the opportunity to appeal the court’s decision. In addition, Spain’s Council of Ministers will need to approve the extradition before it is final.

The 76-year-old antivirus company founder has been detained in Spain since October 2020. However, someone with access to his account regularly posts on his behalf concerning his condition and thoughts on the legality of his situation. Last week, he claimed he no longer has any crypto, as it has “dissolved through the many hands of Team McAfee” or otherwise been seized by authorities.

This story is developing and will be updated.