Ian Freeman: One of Many US Political Prisoners Currently Rotting in a Cage for Promoting Liberty
Ian Freeman is sitting in a cage for the “crime” of helping people use their own money. A peaceful advocate for financial sovereignty and longtime libertarian radio host, Freeman was targeted by the state for daring to operate outside its rigged, controlled financial system. He joins a growing list of political prisoners like Roger Ver and countless others who have been railroaded simply for providing alternatives to the government’s monetary monopoly.
His crime? Running an unlicensed bitcoin exchange business—meaning he helped people opt out of the financial surveillance grid without cutting the government in on the deal. For this, he was sentenced to eight years in prison and has been ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution to so-called “victims” who, according to Fox News, fell prey to online scams that had nothing to do with Freeman himself.
Much like Roger Ver, whose legal battle has become a warning shot against crypto dissidents, Freeman was made an example of. The state’s message is clear: you can’t be trusted to make your own financial choices without the government’s approval. And if you try to help others escape the banking cartel’s control, they will hunt you down.
A Multi-Year Federal Manhunt for a Man Who Helped People Use Bitcoin
Freeman’s persecution began with a five-year, multi-agency investigation, culminating in a pre-dawn SWAT raid on his home in 2021. As Reason Magazine reported, armed agents stormed his residence, throwing grenades, smashing windows, and seizing his assets—all because he failed to ask the state’s permission to exchange bitcoin.
Despite never knowingly harming anyone, he was convicted on bogus money laundering charges, accused of allowing scammers to use his bitcoin services. The government even admitted in court that Freeman was not conspiring with fraudsters—yet still painted him as responsible.
Freeman had implemented his own “Know Your Customer” (KYC) safeguards, often requiring photo IDs, handwritten notes verifying transactions, and phone interviews. But rather than acknowledging this, the feds used his own records against him, twisting his attempts at due diligence into evidence for his conviction.
This is lawfare at its finest—punishing a man not for committing a crime, but for daring to exist outside the state’s financial control.
A Target on His Back for Challenging the Fiat System
Let’s be clear: Ian Freeman was not arrested for defrauding anyone. He was arrested for undermining the state’s monopoly on money. His real “crime” was helping people move their wealth outside the traditional banking system, a system that thrives on surveillance, taxation, and endless inflation.
This is the same reason Ross Ulbricht was given two life sentences for running Silk Road, while actual violent criminals get out in a few years. It’s why Roger Ver is being extradited under the guise of “tax fraud” when in reality, the U.S. government is punishing him for daring to renounce his citizenship and promote financial privacy.
If the government truly cared about protecting people from fraud, they’d crack down on the Federal Reserve’s legalized counterfeiting, Wall Street’s never-ending Ponzi schemes, and the billions of dollars wasted on laundering taxpayer money through places like Ukraine and old faithful, Israel. Instead, they go after the individuals giving people real financial freedom.
Freeman’s persecution isn’t about justice. It’s about control — a control that continues no matter who is in office.
After Ulbricht was pardoned in January, Free State Project President Carla Gericke called on Trump to pardon Ian, but unfortunately and predictably, these calls have fallen on deaf ears.
Why We Need to Free Ian Freeman
Freeman’s case should send a chilling message to anyone who values financial freedom. The state is making it clear: if you try to exist outside their system, they will destroy you.
This is why we must fight for Ian Freeman the same way we fight for Roger Ver, fought for Ross Ulbricht, and still fight for every other victim of financial tyranny.
As central banks push forward with CBDCs and digital IDs, with help from both the previous and current administrations, the ability to freely use money will become even more restricted. The government is actively criminalizing peer-to-peer transactions, branding anyone who resists as a “fraudster” or “money launderer.”
If they can do this to Ian, they can do it to anyone, and they are.
The state wants you to think people like Ian Freeman are criminals. The reality? They are the last line of defense against total financial control.
