According to Cointelegraph, Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus" for his early advocacy of cryptocurrency, is contesting charges brought against him by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Ver, who renounced his US citizenship in 2014, was apprehended in Spain in April, with US authorities seeking his extradition on charges including tax evasion, mail fraud, and filing false tax returns. Prosecutors allege that Ver undervalued his assets and failed to report ownership of approximately 131,000 Bitcoin (BTC). However, Ver denied these allegations during an interview with Tucker Carlson on December 10, asserting that he was neither a US citizen nor residing in the US when the claims were made. He accused the US government of being "angry" not over taxes but due to his "lack of obedience."
The DOJ claims that Ver did not report significant capital gains from Bitcoin sales and underreported the value of two companies when he renounced his US citizenship in 2014. Prosecutors allege that Ver concealed 131,000 BTC, valued at nearly $240 million at the time of sale in 2017, resulting in a $48 million tax shortfall. Ver’s defense argues that the allegations are outdated and arise from ambiguous cryptocurrency tax laws. His legal team also contends that US prosecutors misused confidential communications and violated legal protections.
In his interview with Carlson, Ver insisted that the charges are not rooted in tax issues but rather in his prominent promotion of cryptocurrencies, which he believes challenges government control over monetary systems. He further alleged that US intelligence agencies orchestrated a campaign to suppress Bitcoin's original goal of decentralization. Ver also linked his indictment to the recent publication of his book, which he claims reveals government interference in the cryptocurrency industry.
On December 3, Ver moved to dismiss the US tax evasion charges, arguing that the case was "unconstitutional" and that the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) exit tax was "inscrutably vague." In his filing, he claimed that the charges relied on "provisions of the US tax laws" that were unclear about their "application to digital assets of the kind that underlie the charges." The IRS’ exit tax mandates that all US citizens pay all required taxes before renouncing their citizenship and removing themselves from the country’s taxation system.
