Justice Department announces indictment on cybersecurity magnate McAfee, after arrest in Spain

The Justice Department said Monday that it has indicted cybersecurity software entrepreneur John McAfee on tax evasion following his arrest in Spain. 

The department made the announcement by unsealing a June 15 indictment alleging that McAfee failed to file tax returns on millions of dollars from 2014 to 2018. He allegedly channeled his income into several bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges held in the names of other people to avoid paying taxes.

The department also alleges that McAfee concealed assets from the IRS, including several real estate properties and a yacht, also by placing them in the names of others.

The indictment has no connection to the computer anti-virus company bearing his name, which he founded. 

McAfee has run for the U.S. presidency twice as a libertarian. In 2016, he lost the party's nomination to Gary Johnson. Last year, he said his 2020 campaign had gone into "exile" after being charged with using cryptocurrencies against the U.S. government. McAfee also said publicly that he has not paid taxes in eight years.

The maximum sentence associated with a single count of tax evasion is five years in prison, and the maximum sentence for willful failure to file a tax return is one year.