On Thursday, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road, posted on social media expressing that Roger Ver warrants support and that “no one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes.”
Ross Ulbricht Defends Roger Ver: ‘No One Should Spend Life in Prison Over Taxes’
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Ross Ulbricht Rallies Support for Roger Ver
After regaining his freedom earlier this year, following Donald Trump’s inauguration and the complete pardon that followed, Ross Ulbricht has intermittently shared thoughts on social media following his release. On Feb. 20, Ulbricht turned to X to champion Roger Ver—who renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014 and now faces tax-evasion allegations—charges Ver staunchly describes as politically motivated and entirely baseless.
“Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our support,” Ulbricht said. He added:
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.
Ver’s support for Ulbricht kicked off soon after Ross’s arrest in 2013 and carried on over the years with both monetary aid and public advocacy. He often played an active role in the “Free Ross” campaign, which aimed to spotlight what many considered Ulbricht’s excessively harsh double life sentence. Ver leveraged his platforms to shine a light on Ulbricht’s case, calling for clemency or a pardon and backing fundraising initiatives—from legal campaign contributions to public petitions.
His participation drew attention from the cryptocurrency and libertarian communities, which played a key part in keeping Ulbricht’s case in public discourse. Ulbricht has previously acknowledged Ver’s support, noting that Ver was by his side during his toughest times and expressing gratitude for his efforts in letters.
Ver has long been a champion of those who challenge authority, extending his support to figures such as Ian Freeman, Roman Storm, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and numerous open-source developers. Ulbricht’s message on X was well received and several people commented on Ver’s legal battle.
“Thanks for supporting Roger, let’s make sure he’s free too,” Joel Valenzuela replied to Ulbricht’s post. “It is unusual for prosecutors to pursue someone for miscalculating their ‘exit tax’ 10 yrs after they renounced their citizenship,” the X account Metalawman wrote. “The prosecution of Roger Ver appears to be part of the Biden admin’s coordinated attack on crypto. I would expect the Trump DOJ to drop the case.”
“Love the solidarity. Let’s make this happen,” another remarked.
Ver’s case is more than a legal battle—it is a test of whether the U.S. justice system serves freedom or merely enforces control. Ulbricht’s support is a reminder that solidarity among those who value liberty is essential. No one should lose their life to bureaucratic vengeance. If justice prevails, Ver will walk free, as every man who seeks freedom must.
