Roger Ver Denies Tax Evasion Charges Amid US Extradition Efforts
Roger Ver, known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” denies allegations by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) of tax evasion, mail fraud, and filing false tax returns. He was arrested in Spain in April, and US authorities are seeking extradition based on claims that he misrepresented the value of his assets, including ownership of 131,000 Bitcoin (BTC).
In a Tuesday interview with Tucker Carlson, Ver suggested that the charges might be an attempt to damage his reputation. He emphasized that he was not a US citizen or resident when these allegations arose, and proposed that the government's actions may stem from his advocacy for Bitcoin rather than any actual tax evasion.
History of Ver’s Legal Troubles
The DOJ reported that Ver failed to disclose significant capital gains from Bitcoin sales around the time he renounced his US citizenship in 2014 and did not accurately report the values of two companies. The DOJ claims he concealed approximately $240 million worth of BTC sold in 2017, resulting in a tax liability of $48 million.
Ver and his legal team assert that the allegations are unfounded and argue that ambiguous crypto tax laws complicate compliance. They also contend that US prosecutors may have exploited confidential communications, violating legal protections.
Is There a Conspiracy Theory?
Ver believes there is a broader conspiracy at play. He argues that the charges are not genuinely about taxes but rather an effort by the government to silence him due to his promotion of cryptocurrencies, which he views as a threat to governmental control over financial systems. He criticized attempts to undermine Bitcoin's original goal of decentralization and referenced a recent publication aimed at revealing government interference in the crypto industry.
On December 3, Ver requested the dismissal of tax evasion charges, claiming they are “unconstitutional” and that the IRS’s exit tax is “inscrutably vague.” This exit tax mandates that US citizens pay all owed taxes before renouncing their citizenship and exiting the country's taxation system.