Roger Ver admits failing to report bitcoin holdings, DOJ drops indictment after $50 million settlement
Roger Ver, the early bitcoin evangelist nicknamed "Bitcoin Jesus," has officially reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, admitting to willfully failing to report his bitcoin holdings when he renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014.
According to the DOJ, Ver entered a deferred prosecution agreement and paid the IRS nearly $50 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest. Prosecutors said Ver's omission caused a $16.9 million loss to the United States. The government has now moved to dismiss the indictment against him.
"Mr. Ver is accepting responsibility for his actions and has agreed to pay a substantial penalty," Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a Tuesday announcement.
Ver, a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis since 2014, was arrested in Spain last year and extradited to the U.S. in connection with the charges. His case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crimes Unit.
The deal makes official what was reported last week — that Ver and the Justice Department were finalizing an agreement to resolve the $48 million tax-evasion case.
Odds of a Trump pardon spiked to nearly 50% on Polymarket yesterday but fell back to around 13% following the DOJ’s announcement.
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