Crypto advocate and internet security pioneer John McAfee faces a number of unlike criminal charges, based on a new argument from the United States Department of Justice, or DoJ.

The section accused McAfee of "conspiracy to commit commodities and securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities and touting fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy offenses stemming from ii schemes relating to the fraudulent promotion to investors of cryptocurrencies qualifying under federal police as commodities or securities," the DoJ's argument from the Southern Commune of New York said on Friday.

Jimmy Watson Jr. is as well listed under the offenses for his role on the "McAfee Squad," which operated in the digital asset manufacture. Authorities took Watson into custody in Texas on Thursday, the statement said.

Prior to today'due south news, McAfee already faced charges from U.Due south. governing bodies for tax evasion and initial coin offerings, or ICOs, which he allegedly advertised for compensation without properly informing the public. After going on the run from the U.Southward. government in 2019, McAfee was arrested in Kingdom of spain in October 2020.

McAfee remains imprisoned as of the DoJ'south statement. "MCAFEE is currently detained in Kingdom of spain on carve up criminal charges filed by the United States Department of Justice's Tax Division," the DoJ said on Fri.

"As alleged, McAfee and Watson exploited a widely used social media platform and enthusiasm among investors in the emerging cryptocurrency market place to make millions through lies and deception," Audrey Strauss, a Southern Commune of New York attorney, said in the DoJ statement, adding:

"The defendants allegedly used McAfee's Twitter account to publish messages to hundreds of thousands of his Twitter followers touting various cryptocurrencies through faux and misleading statements to muffle their true, self-interested motives. McAfee, Watson, and other members of McAfee'south cryptocurrency squad allegedly raked in more than $13 million from investors they victimized with their fraudulent schemes."

William Sweeney Jr., an assistant manager for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, referred to some of McAfee's and Watson's alleged efforts every bit "pump-and-dump" tactics. He also mentioned alleged paid ICO promotion, of which the pair did non provide public detect.

The DoJ find likewise explained that, "In separate parallel enforcement deportment, the U.s.a. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") have filed civil charges against MCAFEE and WATSON."