Roger Ver, a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world known as “ Bitcoin Jesus,” has filed a motion to dismiss an eight-count U.S. tax indictment, claiming unconstitutional government overreach and misuse of evidence.
Court Filing: Bitcoin Advocate Roger Ver Argues Government Overreach in Tax Case, Seeks Dismissal
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Roger Ver Seeks Dismissal of U.S. Tax Indictment
Roger Ver, 45, was arrested earlier this year in Barcelona following an indictment alleging that he failed to pay nearly $50 million in taxes on the sale of bitcoin ( BTC) and underreported the value of his crypto holdings after expatriating from the United States in 2014. The government claims that Ver evaded tax obligations related to an “exit tax” applied to U.S. citizens renouncing their citizenship.
In the latest court filing and per a report from Fox Business News’ Eleanor Terrett, Ver’s legal team argued that the exit tax violates the Constitution’s Apportionment Clause and Due Process protections, particularly given the lack of regulatory clarity around crypto taxation at the time. The whole time, Ver relied on professional tax and legal advisors to navigate the nascent crypto asset regulations, according to the filing, and made good-faith efforts to comply with the law.
In the latest court filing, Ver’s attorneys contend that the accusations are not just politically charged and unconstitutional but flat-out false. They claim the case against him is riddled with errors and missteps, asserting that the prosecution twisted key facts to fit their narrative. The motion insists on prosecutorial misconduct, asserting that the government improperly obtained privileged communications between Ver and his attorneys.
These communications, Ver’s lawyers argue, were selectively quoted and presented out of context to secure the indictment. The court filing also claims that government officials withheld potentially exculpatory evidence from the grand jury. For example, the filing outlines how government officials ignored expert valuations of Ver’s bitcoin ( BTC) holdings, which were prepared in accordance with his attorneys’ guidance. Instead, prosecutors portrayed these valuations as fraudulent despite lacking any evidence to substantiate their claims.
Furthermore, lawyers say the government failed to acknowledge key facts that would have exonerated Ver, including documentation showing his reliance on legal and financial experts to comply with U.S. tax law. Ver’s legal team asserts that this deliberate omission amounts to prosecutorial misconduct. A court hearing on the motion is scheduled for February 2025.
