Antivirus software pioneer John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell near Barcelona on Wednesday, hours after Spain’s High Court ruled he could be extradited to the United States, where he faced tax evasion charges that carried a jail sentence of up to 30 years.

A spokeswoman for Catalonia’s Justice Department said his death appeared to be suicide but the final cause would be determined by an autopsy.

A jail source told Reuters that the software entrepreneur was sharing his cell with another inmate, but was alone when he died.

The creator of the world’s first commercial anti-virus software that was launched in 1987, McAfee was dogged by legal problems.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES