Feds defer Ver tax fraud case

Roger Ver, a prominent cryptocurrency investor, has reached a tentative agreement with the Justice Department to defer a criminal tax fraud case that federal prosecutors brought against him last year, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

- KENNETH P. VOGEL DAVID YAFFE-BELLANY WASHINGTON (NYT)

Mr Ver, 46, known as “Bitcoin Jesus” in crypto circles for his early evangelism, was charged by federal prosecutors in 2024 with fraud and tax evasion for failing to pay $48 million in taxes that he owed on his digital currency holdings. Under the terms of the deferred-prosecution agreement, Mr Ver would pay about that much to the government, said the people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the deal.

Under the deal, which has not been filed with the court and could still change, the charges would eventually be dropped if Mr Ver complied with the terms of the agreement.

The case is poised to become the latest example of how the Trump administration has systematically dismantled a years-long government crackdown on the crypto industry, a sector rife with fraud, scams and theft.

Like other beneficiaries of the rollback, Mr Ver sought to curry favour with President Donald Trump by linking his case to the president’s accusations about the weaponisation of the justice system.