In a stunning turn of events, cryptocurrency billionaire Roger Ver - known as "Bitcoin Jesus" for his early evangelism for digital currency - has avoided prison time thanks to the influence of former President Donald Trump's Justice Department.
Ver was facing millions in tax evasion charges and was wanted by the US for extradition from Spain, where he had been living under indictment. His top-flight legal defense team had failed around half a dozen times to persuade the Justice Department to back down. However, Ver's case took a dramatic turn when his new lawyer, Christopher Kise, who has close ties to Trump, stepped in.
Kise worked with other Trump appointees, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan Bhirud, who oversaw the criminal tax division prosecuting Ver. The team pushed for an agreement that would allow Ver to avoid prison time and pay a monetary penalty instead.
The unusual deal was brokered by Kise and his team, who successfully negotiated with the government to settle the case. As part of the agreement, Ver admitted to "willful" failure to report and pay taxes on all his bitcoin, but turned over $50 million - roughly the size of the tax bill prosecutors said he dodged.
The deal was seen as a major victory for the Trump administration's efforts to roll back aggressive enforcement of white-collar crimes. Critics say that it sends a message that wealth and influence can be used to avoid accountability for financial wrongdoing.
Ver was facing millions in tax evasion charges and was wanted by the US for extradition from Spain, where he had been living under indictment. His top-flight legal defense team had failed around half a dozen times to persuade the Justice Department to back down. However, Ver's case took a dramatic turn when his new lawyer, Christopher Kise, who has close ties to Trump, stepped in.
Kise worked with other Trump appointees, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan Bhirud, who oversaw the criminal tax division prosecuting Ver. The team pushed for an agreement that would allow Ver to avoid prison time and pay a monetary penalty instead.
The unusual deal was brokered by Kise and his team, who successfully negotiated with the government to settle the case. As part of the agreement, Ver admitted to "willful" failure to report and pay taxes on all his bitcoin, but turned over $50 million - roughly the size of the tax bill prosecutors said he dodged.
The deal was seen as a major victory for the Trump administration's efforts to roll back aggressive enforcement of white-collar crimes. Critics say that it sends a message that wealth and influence can be used to avoid accountability for financial wrongdoing.
he was facing millions in tax evasion charges and now he's just gonna pay 50 million dollars like that? seems kinda fishy to me, but idk how much of this is politics and how much is just roger ver being super rich and influential 
anyway, guess we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out 
is it a sign that the wealthy and powerful have too much influence over the justice system? or just a reflection of how hard it is for regular people to navigate these complex web of laws and loopholes?
. I mean i get it, wealth and influence can be powerful tools, but c'mon, justice should be served right? The fact that he only had to pay $50 million instead of millions in prison time is just ridiculous 
.
. Plus, $50 million is a pretty big chunk of change for anyone - it's like a major windfall 
! And Ver's still free to keep on doing what he does best - spreading the gospel of Bitcoin 
... it's actually kind of awesome that people are passionate about this stuff 
. Maybe this is a sign that we'll see more innovation and progress in the crypto world? Only time will tell, but I'm keeping an open mind 
. It feels like the system is rigged against regular people and in favor of those with more money and influence 
.
The fact that his new lawyer was all buddies with Trump and got to swoop in and make this deal for him is just laughable. And $50 million? That's just a slap on the wrist! What about everyone else who actually follows the law and doesn't have deep pockets or connections? 
I cant even believe Roger Ver got off scot free! $50 million is no joke, but i guess when you're as rich as him, money talks and trump's pals listen 
