Crypto investor 'Bitcoin Jesus' strikes deal to resolve US tax charges

By Nate Raymond and Sarah N. Lynch (Reuters) -An early crypto investor dubbed the "Bitcoin Jesus" has agreed to pay up to $49.9 million to resolve charges he evaded tens of millions of dollars in taxes, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a court filing on Tuesday. Roger Ver entered into a deferred prosecution agreement resolving mail fraud and tax evasion charges in federal court in Los Angeles after publicly campaigning earlier this year for President Donald Trump to pardon him and "help to end this lawfare." Ultimately, no pardon emerged. But the deal Ver reached with the Trump administration, which has taken a friendly view of the crypto sector, will ensure he can avoid serving any prison time had he been convicted someday at trial. The agreement calls for the indictment against Ver, 46, to be dismissed after one month if he abides by the deal's terms, under which the Internal Revenue Service may collect up to $49.9 million, covering his tax liability, civil penalty and interest. Ver was represented by Christopher Kise, a lawyer who had previously represented Trump. Kise did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ver, who for a time served as the chief executive of the digital wallet developer Bitcoin.com, began acquiring the cryptocurrency bitcoin in 2011 and actively promoted it, earning him the name "Bitcoin Jesus." He was arrested in Spain in April 2024 as the Justice Department unveiled an indictment charging him with not paying at least $48 million in taxes. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

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