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Elon Musk is exploring the possibility of a presidential pardon for Roger Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” who was arrested last year on fraud and tax evasion charges.
Musk’s interest in this case follows President Donald Trump’s recent pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road.
Ver, a former California resident who renounced his U.S. citizenship and became a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was arrested in Spain and is facing extradition to the United States.
The Department of Justice’s indictment claims that Ver sold tens of thousands of bitcoins on cryptocurrency exchanges for around $240 million in cash in 2017 but did not report his gains, resulting in a loss of $48 million in tax revenue for the U.S. Treasury.
In other words, he was supposed to pay $48 million back to the U.S. government.
Musk, a confidant of Trump, hinted that Ver could be next in line for a pardon.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX wrote on his platform X that pardoning Ver was up to Trump, but he had “asked whether this is possible.”
Roger Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” is facing charges that could result in a 109-year prison sentence.
The charges include tax evasion, mail fraud, and filing false tax returns. He was arrested in Spain and is currently facing extradition to the United States.
If convicted, he could face a prison sentence ranging from two months to 30 years.
According to media reports, Ver is not currently in America. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014 and became a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
He was arrested in Spain and faces extradition to the United States to face charges.
According to experts, granting a pardon to someone like Roger Ver, who has renounced his U.S. citizenship, can have several implications.
It could set a legal precedent, influence public perception, and address concerns about justice and fairness.
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