Roger Ver Sues Spain Over Extradition

Crypto entrepreneur Roger Ver, known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” has sued Spain regarding his extradition to the U.S. over tax evasion allegations.

Lawsuit Details

Bloomberg Law reports that Ver filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights, claiming Spain violated his legal rights by ordering extradition. His legal team argues that the extradition constitutes “illegitimate restrictions on his right to liberty” and that Spanish authorities ignored legal uncertainties about U.S. tax treatment of cryptocurrencies at the time of the alleged offenses.

Charges Against Ver

Ver faces jail time after U.S. authorities charged him with tax evasion, claiming he avoided paying $50 million, and also accused him of mail fraud and filing false tax returns. He has launched a campaign to have these charges dropped.

Background

A well-known figure in the crypto community, Ver was an early investor in companies like Kraken and Ripple and gained the nickname “Bitcoin Jesus” for promoting Bitcoin and distributing coins. He later backed Bitcoin Cash, advocating it as the “real Bitcoin.”

Ver has a criminal past, having served prison time in 2002 for selling explosives on eBay. In 2014, he renounced his U.S. citizenship to become a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. Last year, he was arrested in Spain after a U.S. extradition request, allegedly for failing to report 2017 Bitcoin gains to the IRS.

Political Connections

Ver has expressed hope that his case might attract the attention of President Trump, who has shown support for the crypto community by issuing pardons related to prior crypto charges. Trump’s favorable stance towards crypto has influenced regulatory action against the industry since he took office.