Roger Ver, once nicknamed “Bitcoin Jesus” for his early Bitcoin evangelism, has reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve criminal tax evasion charges, the New York Times reports.
The deal, which is still awaiting court approval, requires Barr to pay about $48 million in unpaid taxes. Instead, prosecutors will drop the case if they meet the conditions for deferred prosecution.
The lawsuit against Mr. Ver, filed in 2024, accused him of tax evasion due to his large Bitcoin holdings until he renounced his US citizenship in 2014. He was arrested in Spain last year as prosecutors sought his extradition.
If a deal goes through, the deal would mark a major U-turn for one of the most controversial cryptocurrency pioneers and signal that Washington’s attitude toward digital assets is changing again.
Mr. Ver’s huge Bitcoin holdings
Mr. Ver’s indictment alleges that he provided false or misleading information to law firms and appraisers to conceal the true number of Bitcoins he and his companies owned. This allegedly led to the filing of false tax returns that significantly understated both the company and its Bitcoin holdings.
By 2017, Ver’s company reportedly still held about 70,000 bitcoins, which he sold on a cryptocurrency exchange for about $240 million.
Although Barr was not a U.S. citizen at the time, he was still legally required to report certain distributions to the IRS and pay taxes. He failed to do so, resulting in an estimated loss to the IRS of $48 million, according to the indictment.
The potential settlement comes as the Trump administration continues to ease years of federal enforcement of cryptocurrencies.
Barr’s defense leaned into Trump’s pro-Bitcoin political trend. The New York Times said he paid Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone $600,000 and hired lawyers with ties to the former president, including David Schoen and Christopher Kise, as well as Republican fundraiser Brian Ballard’s lobbying firm.
In January, Barr publicly appealed to Trump for help, calling the lawsuit politically motivated and warning him he could face 100 years in prison.
Neither the Justice Department nor Barr have commented publicly on the reported agreement.
Source: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/roger-ver-aka-bitcoin-jesus-reaches-deal-in-u-s-tax-fraud-case
