Key facts
- Thomas Goldstein, a Supreme Court litigator, received a six-year prison sentence.
- He was convicted of tax evasion, mortgage fraud, and related charges.
- Goldstein must pay over $3.1 million in restitution.
- Prosecutors alleged he concealed over $25 million in income between 2016 and 2023.
- The case involved Goldstein's high-stakes poker gambling and secretive lifestyle.
A prominent Supreme Court litigator, Thomas Goldstein, has been sentenced to six years in prison for evading a multimillion-dollar IRS tax debt and engaging in mortgage fraud. The case, which drew attention to his high-stakes poker playing and secretive lifestyle, concluded with U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby imposing the sentence on Friday.
Goldstein, 56, a co-founder of SCOTUSblog who argued over 40 cases before the Supreme Court, was also ordered to pay over $3.1 million in restitution. He had previously been a member of Al Gore's legal team during the 2000 election litigation. His gambling habits, which many colleagues were unaware of until his January 2025 indictment, sent shockwaves through the legal community.
A jury found Goldstein guilty of 12 of 16 counts after a six-week trial, including tax evasion, aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, willfully failing to pay taxes, and mortgage fraud. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of over eight years, alleging he concealed more than $25 million in income between 2016 and 2023, resulting in over $9.5 million in unpaid taxes. They characterized his motivation as "pure, unrelenting greed" and noted his "exorbitant lifestyle."
Goldstein's defense attorneys argued for leniency, citing his gambling addiction and the potential for him to repay debts. They maintained his conduct, while self-destructive, was not illegal. Prosecutors stated Goldstein diverted law firm funds to pay gambling debts and falsely deducted gambling losses as business expenses, also lying to IRS agents and lenders about his debts, including omitting a $15 million gambling debt on mortgage applications.
During his trial testimony, Goldstein claimed he instructed his firm's staff and accountants to handle his personal expenses correctly and stated in a 2014 email, "we always play completely by the rules." His lawyers noted he gambled money he didn't have and lost at a rate detrimental to himself and his loved ones.