Bitcoin Pioneer Roger Ver Faces Charges Amid Accusations Of Tax Evasion And Fraud

The United States Department of Justice has made headlines by pressing charges against Roger Ver, an early investor in Bitcoin famously known as ‘Bitcoin Jesus.’ According to an announcement on April 30, Ver was apprehended by Spanish authorities based on allegations from the U.S., including mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. The U.S. government contends that Ver failed to report capital gains on the sale of Bitcoin and other assets, resulting in an alleged defrauding of approximately $48 million from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

An indictment, dated February 15 but revealed on April 29, claims that Ver gained control of around 70,000 BTC in June 2017, prior to the significant surge in Bitcoin's value, and subsequently sold a substantial portion for $240 million. The U.S. authorities have expressed intentions to bring Ver back from Spain to face trial.

Responses to Ver's arrest have been diverse on social media. While some express support, others echo sentiments of Bitcoin advocate Dan Held, formerly of Kraken, who believes Ver “deserves everything that he’s about to get” due to his perceived negative impact on Bitcoin. Held alleges Ver's actions led to internal conflicts within the Bitcoin community, even going as far as to accuse him of attempting to harm his own career.

Ver, who also advocated for Bitcoin Cash, previously faced scrutiny in 2022 over a dispute with crypto investment platform CoinFlex, which asserted that he owed them $47 million in USD Coin.