Ross Ulbricht, the infamous Silk Road creator, has called for Roger Ver’s release from detention following his arrest in Spain over alleged Bitcoin tax fraud.
Ver was arrested in Spain following a U.S. Department of Justice indictment alleging the early Bitcoin (BTC) investor committed various tax violations worth $50 million.
Federal prosecutors claim Ver underreported his Bitcoin gains and failed to file the correct tax returns. Ver, who renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014, denied the charges and accused the U.S. of government overreach.
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“Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our support,” Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht tweeted via X.com on Feb. 20. Ulbricht is familiar with America’s justice system, having spent over 11 years in a maximum security prison for his role in the online black market. He was recently freed by a pardon issued by President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, tax allegations against Ver could send the so-called “Bitcoin Jesus” behind bars for up to 20 years. The DOJ slammed Ver with three counts of mail fraud, two counts of tax evasion, and three counts of false tax returns.
The mail fraud charges alone each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. “No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes. Let him pay the tax (if any) and be done with it,” said Ulbricht. Crypto lawyer James Murphy, better known as MetaLawMan, agreed with Ulbricht on the matter. Murphy also expected the Justice Department to drop the case.
It is unusual for prosecutors to pursue someone for miscalculating their “exit tax” 10 yrs after they renounced their citizenship.
The prosecution of @rogerkver appears to be part of the Biden admin’s coordinated attack on crypto.
I would expect the Trump DOJ to drop the case.— MetaLawMan (@MetaLawMan) February 20, 2025
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