2024-05-01
Roger
Ver, an early investor in Bitcoin, a founder of Bitcoin Cash and a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency
community, has been indicted on charges of tax fraud by the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice
said Roger Ver was arrested in Spain on Apr 30, 2024.
The DOJ said that Ver evaded nearly $50 million in taxes.
The
indictment alleges that Ver filing false report on capital gains from the sale
of bitcoins in 2017.
In November 2017, he sold tens of thousands of bitcoins
on cryptocurrency exchanges for approximately $240 million in cash.
Ver was required to pay tax on the capital gains. Ver began acquiring bitcoins for himself and his companies in 2011.
His 2 companies MemoryDealers.com Inc. and
Agilestar.com Inc., (two companies that sold computer and networking equipment).
and Ver allegedly owned roughly 131,000 bitcoins in 2014, with the two
companies owned 73,000 bitcoins.
Roger Ver was born in the
United States but he obtained a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2014.
Even though Ver is not a U.S. citizen, but his U.S.
companies are legally required to report to the IRS and pay tax on certain
distributions such as dividends.
In total, Ver is evaded tax to the IRS worth at least
$48 million.
Known
in the crypto world as "Bitcoin Jesus," Ver has been a vocal advocate
for Bitcoin and played a significant role in the development of Bitcoin Cash.
His
arrest and the subsequent charges have sent ripples through the cryptocurrency
community, raising concerns about the potential implications for other
investors and the industry as a whole.
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to extradite Ver from Spain, where he was arrested, to stand trial in the United States.
www.justice.gov/opa/pr/early-bitcoin-investor-charged-tax-fraud
