The lawyer allegedly hid millions of dollars in winnings to avoid paying taxes
Tom Goldstein, a poker player and founder of the Supreme Court-focused SCOTUSblog, has been indicted in a federal tax fraud case. The charges, filed in Maryland, allege that Goldstein participated in a multimillion-dollar scheme to evade taxes while misusing funds from his law firm to address gambling debts accrued in high-stakes poker games.
The 22-count indictment outlines a range of allegations against Goldstein, 54, including concealing poker winnings, misrepresenting losses, and submitting falsified expense claims. Goldstein, who has argued 44 cases before the Supreme Court, is accused of participating in poker games across Beverly Hills, Asia, and other locations. In one instance, prosecutors allege he failed to report $3.9 million in gambling winnings for 2016.
Goldstein also faces accusations of submitting misleading applications for a $2.6 million mortgage, omitting a reported $14 million debt. Further claims include having his firm cover salaries and health insurance premiums for individuals who allegedly performed minimal or no work but had personal ties to him.
Additionally, prosecutors allege that in 2018, Goldstein brought nearly $1 million in cash from Macau into the US, and acknowledged it as gambling winnings to customs officials, but failed to declare it on his tax filings.
The indictment also highlights unreported cryptocurrency transactions, with Goldstein allegedly failing to disclose more than $10 million in crypto trades on his 2020 and 2021 tax returns.
Goldstein’s attorneys, John Lauro and Christopher Kise, issued a statement defending their client, asserting that he intends to contest the charges and expects exoneration. The case casts a shadow over Goldstein’s career, which included teaching Supreme Court advocacy at Harvard and Stanford before retiring in 2023.

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