Roger Ver, an early investor in Bitcoin (BTC), has been released on bail by a Spanish court as he awaits potential extradition to the United States.
As reported by Bloomberg on June 5, Ver posted approximately $163,000 in bail on May 17, enabling his release from Spanish custody. Conditions of his bail stipulate that he must stay in Spain, surrender his passport, and appear in court every two days.
The U.S. Justice Department announced charges against Ver on April 30, accusing him of mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. Allegedly, he failed to report capital gains from his BTC and other asset sales, resulting in a purported $48 million defrauding of the Internal Revenue Service.
Despite being born in California, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014 and currently holds citizenship with Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. U.S. authorities intend to extradite him from Spain for trial in the United States.
In addition to his involvement in Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ver was recently embroiled in a scandal with CoinFlex in 2022, where he was accused of owing the platform $47 million in USD Coin (USDC). He also served a 10-month sentence in U.S. federal prison in 2002 and 2003 for selling explosives on eBay.
Reflecting on his time in prison, Ver described the isolation and separation from loved ones as the true punishment. If convicted, he could potentially face lengthy federal prison sentences for each of the charges brought against him.
Ver has maintained a low profile on social media since his arrest.