A famous figure in the world of cryptocurrency known as “Bitcoin Jesus” – accused of multimillion-dollar tax evasion – has asked a federal court to drop the charges against him. Bitcoin activist Roger Ver also responded to the Biden administration, accusing the US government of using unconstitutional powers to cripple the cryptocurrency industry.
Seeking Dismissal of the Case
Ver’s legal advisers recently demanded the dismissal of all tax evasion charges against the Bitcoin promoter, explaining that the US government has exceeded its constitutionally permissible actions.
In February, Bitcoin Jesus was arrested while participating in a crypto conference in Barcelona for allegedly evading tax on his BTC sales.
Roger Ver aims to combat what he says is a politically motivated movement against cryptocurrency by tapping the services of attorneys at Steptoe LLP and Kimura London & White.
🚨NEW from me: Roger Ver’s legal team will drop a lawsuit alleging government manipulation
The lawyers of @rogerkverknown as ‘Bitcoin Jesus,’ is hoping his tax evasion charges will be dropped as part of Trump’s crackdown promise. #crypto control blitz.
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) December 4, 2024
On Tuesday, his legal team asked Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald of the United States District Court for the Central District of California to dismiss the lawsuit against the crypto researcher, arguing that the charges are the result of unconstitutional government overreach and misleading evidence against their client. .
“The case must be dismissed. The charges are unconstitutional: they rely on a tax that is itself a violation of both the 16th Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment,” the motion said.
‘Perfect Politics’
Ver’s lawyers believe that the case brought by the US Department of Justice was “completely political”, which many netizens see as part of the government’s war against cryptocurrency.
The legal team added that the Bitcoin influencer case is a perfect example of using coercion to regulate the industry without providing clarity on the rules surrounding the space. This has been the way of federal authorities under the Biden administration.
In April, a US grand jury indicted Ver on eight counts of criminal conduct for allegedly evading nearly $50 million in taxes from his 2017 Bitcoin sales. He was also charged with misrepresenting the true value of his crypto holdings in 2014.
A Spark of Hope
The filing of the waiver request could not have come at a better time as the US government is in the midst of a new administration, which many believe is more pro-crypto than the Biden administration.
Ver’s lawyers are hoping that under the administration of the new American President Donald Trump, their case will be dropped. Trump has promised that his administration will take a positive approach to the cryptocurrency industry.
Ver’s case has caused an uproar in the crypto community, which has criticized the US justice department’s approach to first-time enforcement of digital assets.
Civil rights lawyer Robert Barnes believed that the case against the crypto researcher is special enforcement, adding that the case is a perfect example of the law against the crypto industry, “targeting people based on political considerations instead of clear evidence of wrongdoing.”
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView