DOJ to Drop Charges Against Roger Ver in $48M Deal

Key Highlights

• The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to drop all criminal fraud and tax evasion charges against Roger Ver in a $48 million settlement
• This “deferred-prosecution” agreement means that the government will not go for a complex trial 
• The government accused Ver of concealing his vast Bitcoin holdings, reportedly over 131,000 BTC in 2014

On October 9, the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to drop its criminal case against Roger Ver, who is an early Bitcoin investor famously known as “Bitcoin Jesus.”

According to the latest report, both sides have decided to end the legal battle with a tentative deal. The report suggests that Roger Ver will avoid a further trial and a potential prison sentence that could have reached 109 years. 

The resolution requires Roger Ver to pay approximately $48 million in settlement to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If he complies with all the terms mentioned in the deferred-prosecution deal, which includes making the full payment and complying with other conditions, the fraud and tax evasion charges against Roger Ver will be dropped.

What the Justice Department Says

Instead of prolonging the case against Ver, the Department of Justice has decided to choose a path known as a deferred-prosecution agreement. Simply put, it means that the government will not move forward with a full criminal trial for Ver, who faced 8 felony counts. This includes three for mail fraud, two for tax evasion, and three for subscribing to false tax returns. 

These charges were based on accusations that Ver hid his real substantial Bitcoin holdings when he gave up his U.S. citizenship in 2014. This included about 131,000 Bitcoins that he owned both personally and through his companies. At that time, these Bitcoins were valued at over $114 million.

The case against Roger Ver started in February 2024. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted him on charges related to his Bitcoin activities during his expatriation and subsequent sales. 

Later on, he sold a big portion of these Bitcoin holdings in 2017 without paying taxes on the gains. According to the prosecutors, this gain amounted to over $48 million. 

By settling, prosecutors avoid the difficult task of proving Ver’s intent in court. His legal team had argued that the old tax laws used against him were too vague and not designed for early cryptocurrency users. 

The agreement also prevents a courtroom battle over Ver’s claims that the U.S. “exit tax” is unconstitutional. Some legal experts are also seeing this settlement as a practical solution to avoid a long trial, which could have revealed the uncertainties in crypto taxation. 

At present, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers cryptocurrencies as property. This creates a complex tax framework where capital gains and income tax rules apply to various crypto activities. 

To resolve this issue and provide a better structured tax framework, Senator Cynthia Lummis is fighting back against unclear U.S. crypto tax rules with her Digital Asset Tax Fairness Act.

“In order to maintain our competitive edge, we must change our tax code to embrace our digital economy, not burden digital asset users. This groundbreaking legislation is fully paid for, cuts through the bureaucratic red tape, and establishes common-sense rules that reflect how digital technologies function in the real world. We cannot allow our archaic tax policies to stifle American innovation, and my legislation ensures Americans can participate in the digital economy without inadvertent tax violations,” said Lummis.

Who is Roger Ver, the Man Called “Bitcoin Jesus”?

Roger Ver became one of the early adopters back in 2011, when he first found out about Bitcoin. He earned the nickname “Bitcoin Jesus” because of his missionary-like zeal for the digital currency.

He also gave away free Bitcoins to boost adoption, as well as invested heavily in early cryptocurrency startups. In 2017, he also fell into controversy over a technical dispute within the Bitcoin community. 

Recently, his connections with Trump’s closest allies came into the light to help his legal situation. In early 2025, some reports revealed that Ver paid $600,000 to Roger Stone, who is a longtime political strategist for the current U.S. President Donald Trump.