The Department of Justice announcement On Tuesday, he accused Roger Ver, a well-known figure in Bitcoin’s early days, of mail fraud and filing false tax returns. In a press release announcing the charges, the agency said “Bitcoin Jesus” evaded nearly $50 million in taxes, citing a nickname Ver acquired around 2010 due to his habit of giving away bitcoins to those he met.
Ver, a California native, renounced his U.S. citizenship shortly after obtaining a St. Kitts and Nevis passport in 2014. At the time, he framed the decision as a protest against U.S. government policy , but it was widely seen in crypto circles as part of an effort to avoid paying taxes on the large horde of Bitcoin he acquired when the cryptocurrency was still trading for a few dollars or less.
Although he renounced his U.S. citizenship, the Justice Department said Ver was nonetheless required to pay an “exit tax” and file returns showing his capital gains and the value of his assets.
According to an IRS indictment filed in Los Angeles, Ver worked with a law firm to avoid reporting his personal assets and to undervalue 73,000 bitcoins held by his companies. The indictment also says he sold tens of thousands of Bitcoins in 2017 for $240 million.
“In total, Ver allegedly caused a loss to the IRS of at least $48 million,” the Justice Department said.
It is not yet known whether Ver, who was actively promoting crypto on social media on April 25, is in the United States or is in custody.
The new accusations against Ver, which came as a shock to the online community known as Crypto Twitterplaces him in the company of several other figures from the early days of Bitcoin who have since fallen into criminal trouble.
