Roger Ver challenges $50 million tax indictment in court

Roger Ver, known in the cryptocurrency community as “Bitcoin Jesus,” has filed a motion to dismiss an eight-count tax indictment from the U.S. government, arguing that it represents unconstitutional overreach and misuse of evidence.

Ver, 45, was arrested in Barcelona earlier this year after being indicted for allegedly failing to pay nearly $50 million in taxes related to the sale of Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC).

The indictment claims he underreported the value of his crypto holdings after renouncing his U.S. citizenship in 2014, evading an “exit tax” imposed on expatriating citizens.

In his recent court filing, Ver's legal team contends that the exit tax violates the Constitution’s Apportionment Clause and Due Process protections, particularly given the unclear regulatory landscape surrounding cryptocurrency taxation at that time.

Ver maintained that he relied on professional tax and legal advisors to navigate these emerging regulations and made good-faith efforts to comply with existing laws.

His attorneys assert that the accusations against him are politically motivated and fundamentally false, alleging that the prosecution has misrepresented key facts to support their case.

The motion highlights claims of prosecutorial misconduct, asserting that the government improperly accessed privileged communications between Ver and his legal counsel.

According to his lawyers, these communications were selectively quoted and taken out of context to bolster the indictment.

The filing also alleges that government officials withheld exculpatory evidence from the grand jury, including expert valuations of Ver’s bitcoin holdings prepared under his attorneys' guidance.

Prosecutors allegedly mischaracterised these valuations as fraudulent without providing supporting evidence.

Ver's legal team argues that the government's failure to acknowledge critical facts that could exonerate him constitutes prosecutorial misconduct.

A court hearing regarding this motion is scheduled for February 2025.