Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, wrote: "Life in prison for non-violent tax crimes is ridiculous. The case against Roger Ver, the Bitcoin Jesus, appears to be highly politically motivated; like Ross Ulbricht, founder of Darknet Silk Road, many people and companies have been charged with more serious crimes and faced much lighter sentences than Roger faced. If the IRS did threaten Roger's lawyers for confidential information, it would be in bad faith; lawyers' right to confidential advice must be sacrosanct. True good faith mistakes should be corrected by giving clients the opportunity to pay taxes, including interest and penalties, not by prosecution. "