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CryptoWatch: Bitcoin Tax Case, Justin Sun and WLFI, and Crypto Prices on Dec. 16, 2024

The DOJ sentenced early Bitcoin investor Frank Ahlgren for tax offenses. Here’s what Tech Times reported about Justin Sun and WLFI, plus its dated crypto price table.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Frank Richard Ahlgren III was sentenced to two years in prison for tax offenses involving cryptocurrency sales; Tech Times also reported that Justin Sun invested in and advised Trump-linked World Liberty Financial (WLFI), while raising conflict-of-interest concerns. The prices below are the historical figures in Tech Times’ Dec. 16, 2024 roundup—not current quotes—and its Ethereum entry appears malformed.

Why an early Bitcoin investor was sentenced

On Dec. 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Austin resident Frank Richard Ahlgren III had been sentenced to two years in prison for filing tax returns that falsely reported cryptocurrency gains. The court also imposed one year of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1,095,031 in restitution.

The transactions described by the DOJ

According to the DOJ, Ahlgren bought approximately 1,366 bitcoin in 2015 through Coinbase accounts. In October 2017, he sold approximately 640 bitcoin for about $3.7 million, at an average of approximately $5,807.53 per bitcoin. The release says he later failed to report bitcoin sales exceeding $650,000 in 2018 and 2019; the government’s stated tax loss exceeded $1 million.

The DOJ said Ahlgren understated gains and used methods intended to obscure transactions. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg said Ahlgren “lied to his accountant about the extent of a large portion of his gains” and sought to conceal other profits through techniques on the Bitcoin blockchain. These are the government’s descriptions of the case.

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What the case means for crypto tax reporting

The DOJ says taxpayers must report proceeds and gains or losses from cryptocurrency sales on their tax returns. In other words, using cryptocurrency does not remove a sale from tax reporting obligations. The DOJ release quoted IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan calling this “the first criminal tax evasion prosecution centered solely on cryptocurrency.” That is Tan’s characterization of this case, not a claim that no earlier criminal case involved cryptocurrency in any way.

What Tech Times reported about Justin Sun and WLFI

In its Dec. 16, 2024 roundup, Tech Times reported that Justin Sun had purchased $30 million worth of WLFI and had been named an advisor to World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture linked to Donald Trump. The article attributed concerns about ethics and conflicts of interest to Reuters reporting. Those concerns should be understood as reported questions, not as proof that a conflict occurred.

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The later dispute over frozen WLFI tokens

On Sept. 5, 2025, Fortune reported that Sun said WLFI had frozen more than $100 million in cryptocurrency he purchased after a transfer. Fortune cited blockchain data showing a $9 million WLFI transfer and a wallet freeze. WLFI’s account, as quoted by Fortune, said: “We do not seek to blacklist anyone,” and that it responds to “malicious or high-risk activity that could harm community members.” The cited reporting presents the parties’ different accounts; it does not establish which explanation is correct.

CoinGecko displayed WLFI at around $0.0556, with a displayed high of $0.3313 and low of $0.04828, when accessed Oct. 8, 2026. These are time-sensitive figures from a secondary market-data page, not a guaranteed price or a substitute for checking a current quote.

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The five crypto prices in the Dec. 16, 2024 roundup

These are the figures Tech Times published in its Dec. 16, 2024 roundup, with the seven-day changes shown there. They are historical editorial snapshot values, not current market prices.

Asset Price listed by Tech Times Seven-day change listed
Bitcoin (BTC) $104,484.35 +6.19%
Ethereum (ETH) “$3,94.43” (as printed; apparent error) +1.97%
Tether (USDT) $0.9995 −0.04%
XRP $2.38 −0.31%
Solana (SOL) $216.93 −4.39%

The ETH figure is reproduced exactly because the source’s number appears malformed; it should not be treated as a verified Ethereum price. For a live comparison, check each asset at the same timestamp and in the same currency, and note the provider and market coverage.

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