In a rare move, a Colorado District Court has halted the release of SafeMoon’s CEO John McAfee on bail, after prosecutors argued that he is a “danger to the community”. McAfee was arrested in June 2020 for cyber crimes.
In their argument for keeping McAfee in custody, prosecutors claimed that due to the seriousness of the charges against him, and his past criminal record, he poses a threat to the community and should not be granted bail. Furthermore, they cited the unpredictable nature of his actions as another concern.
Due to the nature of the charges against him, McAfee could face up to 35-years in jail if convicted.
McAfee had posted a $1 million bond that was secured against properties that he owned, but prosecutors argued that this was insufficient since the amount was “grossly inadequate” to guarantee the safety of the community.
In response to the ruling, McAfee’s attorney has argued that his client should not be stripped of his rights “based on speculation and conjecture”. He further argued that McAfee has “never been charged with or convicted of any violent crime” and that his client should be granted the presumption of innocence like any other citizen.
The ruling is a major setback for McAfee, who had previously been confident that he would be able to pay the full bond and be released before the start of his trial. The court is set to rule on whether or not he will be held in custody until his trial begins.
