“Bitcoin Jesus” Roger Ver Reaches Deal With DOJ Over Tax Fraud Case

In another example of dialed-down cryptocurrency enforcement in the Trump administration, crypto entrepreneur Roger Ver has reached a deal with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to have his tax evasion case dropped. Ver was arrested in April 2024 and charged with mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. Roger Ver Agrees To Deal With DOJ According to sources familiar with the developments, Ver agreed to pay $48 million to end the tax fraud case. Ver was arrested in Spain after US authorities reached out to their Spanish counterparts. Authorities claimed that Ver sold Bitcoin in 2017, but failed to inform the IRS about the gains he made, causing a purported loss of $48 million. Ver failed to report the gains despite the fact that the BTC was held by US corporations, which he was in charge of. The United States Department of Justice has not commented on the developments at the moment. Ver is popularly called “Bitcoin Jesus” because he used to give away the cryptocurrency for free when it was worth next to nothing. He also heavily invested in some of the crypto industry’s earliest companies. However, Ver abandoned Bitcoin and began promoting Bitcoin Cash, calling it the “real Bitcoin.” He also clashed with several Bitcoin maximalists for his aggressive marketing and positions on Bitcoin Cash. Ver renounced his US citizenship in 2014 and is a citizen of the tax haven St. Kitts and Nevis. Attempts To Throw Out The Case Last year, Ver and his allies launched a campaign to get President Trump’s attention in an effort to get the case thrown out and secure a pardon. Several lawsuits have been scrapped since President Trump took office, with several prominent figures from the crypto industry pardoned. The Trump administration has dropped investigations into several firms, including Binance and Gemini, and has appointed crypto-friendly figures at the helm of key federal agencies. Trump has also pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht after assuming office. Ulbricht has also supported pardoning Ver on several occasions. The Silk Road founder stated on X, “Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our support. No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes.” Meanwhile, bettors on Polymarket have increased the odds of Ver receiving a pardon from President Trump to 29% on Thursday afternoon. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.