TLDR
- Roger Ver has reached a tentative settlement with the US Department of Justice over tax fraud charges from April 2024
- The deal requires Ver to pay $48 million in taxes on Bitcoin capital gains from before renouncing his US citizenship
- Ver was arrested in Spain last year and has been fighting extradition to the United States
- The settlement still needs approval from the federal judge overseeing the case
- Ver hired Trump associate Roger Stone for $600,000 to lobby on his behalf
Roger Ver, an early Bitcoin investor nicknamed “Bitcoin Jesus,” has agreed to a tentative settlement with the US Department of Justice. The deal would require him to pay $48 million to resolve criminal tax fraud charges.
The DOJ charged Ver with mail fraud and tax evasion in April 2024. Prosecutors claim he failed to report capital gains from selling tens of thousands of bitcoins. These sales happened before Ver renounced his American citizenship.
Ver’s legal troubles began when Spanish authorities arrested him following the US indictment. He quickly posted bail and has been fighting extradition ever since. The charges center on Ver’s crypto holdings from 2014 when he and his companies allegedly held around 131,000 BTC.
The government says Ver attempted to dodge taxes by giving up his citizenship and becoming a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. However, the DOJ maintains he still owed taxes on certain distributions even after renouncing his citizenship.
Trump Connections and Political Strategy
Ver built connections to President Donald Trump’s administration as part of his legal strategy. He paid political consultant Roger Stone $600,000 to lobby for changes to US tax laws. Stone, a longtime Trump adviser, filed official lobbying documents for this work.
Ver also hired lawyers with previous ties to Trump. This approach came as the president issued pardons to several crypto industry figures. Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder, and Arthur Hayes along with other Bitmex executives.
Ulbricht publicly supported Ver’s case in February. He argued that no one should face life in prison over tax issues. Ver’s website currently features an open letter calling the prosecution retaliatory.
What Happens Next
The proposed settlement has not been submitted to the court yet. It requires approval from the federal judge handling the case. Court documents show a hearing scheduled for December 15, 2025.
If approved, the agreement would allow Ver to avoid prison time. Both Ver and the Justice Department declined to comment on the settlement when contacted by media outlets.
The New York Times first reported the tentative agreement. The settlement amount of $48 million represents the taxes prosecutors claim Ver owes from his Bitcoin sales.
Ver’s case joins several other high-profile crypto prosecutions. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao served four months in prison for Bank Secrecy Act violations and has applied for a presidential pardon. Bitmex also received a pardon after pleading guilty to similar charges.
The settlement would close a case that started with Ver’s 2024 arrest in Spain. His legal team has been challenging both the extradition attempt and the underlying charges in federal court. The December hearing will likely determine whether the judge accepts the proposed terms.
