Attorney Tom Goldstein Accused of Hiding Millions in Gambling Winnings Amid Tax Fraud Investigation
High-stakes poker player and prominent attorney Tom Goldstein is under intense scrutiny after federal prosecutors alleged that he failed to disclose millions of dollars in gambling winnings while being investigated for tax fraud.
According to new court documents filed on Thursday, Goldstein continued amassing large gambling winnings in 2022 and 2023, totaling around $12 million in 2022 and another $10 million in 2023, despite already facing charges for tax evasion. Prosecutors claim that Goldstein never reported the winnings and may have intentionally obscured his earnings through undisclosed cryptocurrency accounts.
Winning $51 Million Off One Player
Court filings revealed that Goldstein reportedly won a staggering $51.4 million from a single player between May 2022 and May 2024. The government submitted a payment spreadsheet that shows a series of massive deposits to Goldstein from the unnamed player, including:
• $15 million on May 24, 2022
• $6.9 million on Oct. 3, 2022
• $8.3 million on Nov. 28, 2022
• $7.5 million on Feb. 14, 2023
• $9.8 million on May 15, 2024
Although the nature of the gambling was not disclosed, poker is heavily implied given Goldstein’s high-stakes gambling history.
Prosecutors argued that Goldstein deliberately avoided paying taxes on these large sums and that his continued involvement in cryptocurrency transactions makes him a high flight risk. Despite already being under investigation, Goldstein reportedly continued to conceal his cryptocurrency transactions, making it difficult for authorities to track his income.
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Big Losses at a High-Stakes Birthday Party in Greece
In addition to his massive wins, Goldstein also faced substantial losses in 2024. According to the filing, Goldstein traveled to Mykonos, Greece in July 2024 for a multi-day birthday party attended by ultra-high-stakes poker players. During the event, Goldstein reportedly lost a significant amount of money and later paid approximately $200,000 in cryptocurrency to the game’s host from an unknown crypto wallet.
Prosecutors claim that Goldstein’s use of cryptocurrency wallets is a critical concern, as it could facilitate money laundering, tax evasion, or potential attempts to flee the country. This led to Goldstein’s electronic devices being ordered for monitoring as part of his pretrial release conditions.
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Goldstein’s Defense and Court Battle
Goldstein, who founded SCOTUSblog and is recognized as a high-profile Supreme Court attorney, was formally indicted on January 16, 2025, facing 22 counts including:
• Tax evasion
• Preparing false and fraudulent tax returns
• Making false statements on mortgage applications
Goldstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, prosecutors argue that Goldstein’s continued high-stakes gambling, concealed cryptocurrency transactions, and undisclosed income prove that he is a serious flight risk.
In February 2025, Goldstein was briefly arrested for allegedly transferring millions of dollars from undisclosed cryptocurrency wallets, violating his pretrial release conditions. However, he was later released from jail after denying ownership of the wallets.
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A Pattern of Gambling and Tax Fraud
The latest filings add to Goldstein’s already questionable gambling history. In his original indictment, prosecutors revealed that Goldstein previously won over $50 million in heads-up poker matches against three players in California and Asia in 2016. His failure to report those winnings triggered the initial tax fraud investigation.
Now, with evidence of $51.4 million in winnings from a single player and unreported crypto transactions, prosecutors continue to argue that Goldstein is intentionally hiding assets to avoid tax obligations.
Goldstein’s legal team continues to push back, calling the device monitoring and crypto ban “drastic measures” and insisting he has no intention of fleeing or concealing assets. However, prosecutors are adamant that Goldstein remains a high-flight risk and has proven untrustworthy when it comes to financial transparency.
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Goldstein’s Case Timeline
• January 16, 2025: Goldstein indicted on 22 counts of tax evasion, false tax returns, and fraudulent mortgage applications.
• January 28, 2025: Goldstein pleads not guilty and is ordered to stop playing poker while awaiting trial.
• February 10, 2025: Goldstein is arrested for alleged cryptocurrency transfers from undisclosed wallets.
• February 13, 2025: Released from jail after denying ownership of crypto wallets.
• February 27, 2025: Goldstein appeals the court’s decision to monitor his devices, calling it “drastic”.
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What’s Next for Goldstein?
Goldstein’s trial is scheduled to begin later in 2025, and if convicted, he could face significant prison time and millions in tax penalties. With $65.3 million in total winnings and unpaid taxes still being investigated, prosecutors continue to push for strict monitoring of Goldstein’s assets, electronic devices, and gambling activity.
The case continues to unravel, leaving many wondering — how deep does this tax evasion scheme really go?
Source: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/03/tom-goldstein-won-51-million-48126.htm
High-stakes poker player and prominent attorney Tom Goldstein is under intense scrutiny after federal prosecutors alleged that he failed to disclose millions of dollars in gambling winnings while being investigated for tax fraud.
According to new court documents filed on Thursday, Goldstein continued amassing large gambling winnings in 2022 and 2023, totaling around $12 million in 2022 and another $10 million in 2023, despite already facing charges for tax evasion. Prosecutors claim that Goldstein never reported the winnings and may have intentionally obscured his earnings through undisclosed cryptocurrency accounts.
Winning $51 Million Off One Player
Court filings revealed that Goldstein reportedly won a staggering $51.4 million from a single player between May 2022 and May 2024. The government submitted a payment spreadsheet that shows a series of massive deposits to Goldstein from the unnamed player, including:
• $15 million on May 24, 2022
• $6.9 million on Oct. 3, 2022
• $8.3 million on Nov. 28, 2022
• $7.5 million on Feb. 14, 2023
• $9.8 million on May 15, 2024
Although the nature of the gambling was not disclosed, poker is heavily implied given Goldstein’s high-stakes gambling history.
Prosecutors argued that Goldstein deliberately avoided paying taxes on these large sums and that his continued involvement in cryptocurrency transactions makes him a high flight risk. Despite already being under investigation, Goldstein reportedly continued to conceal his cryptocurrency transactions, making it difficult for authorities to track his income.
⸻
Big Losses at a High-Stakes Birthday Party in Greece
In addition to his massive wins, Goldstein also faced substantial losses in 2024. According to the filing, Goldstein traveled to Mykonos, Greece in July 2024 for a multi-day birthday party attended by ultra-high-stakes poker players. During the event, Goldstein reportedly lost a significant amount of money and later paid approximately $200,000 in cryptocurrency to the game’s host from an unknown crypto wallet.
Prosecutors claim that Goldstein’s use of cryptocurrency wallets is a critical concern, as it could facilitate money laundering, tax evasion, or potential attempts to flee the country. This led to Goldstein’s electronic devices being ordered for monitoring as part of his pretrial release conditions.
⸻
Goldstein’s Defense and Court Battle
Goldstein, who founded SCOTUSblog and is recognized as a high-profile Supreme Court attorney, was formally indicted on January 16, 2025, facing 22 counts including:
• Tax evasion
• Preparing false and fraudulent tax returns
• Making false statements on mortgage applications
Goldstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, prosecutors argue that Goldstein’s continued high-stakes gambling, concealed cryptocurrency transactions, and undisclosed income prove that he is a serious flight risk.
In February 2025, Goldstein was briefly arrested for allegedly transferring millions of dollars from undisclosed cryptocurrency wallets, violating his pretrial release conditions. However, he was later released from jail after denying ownership of the wallets.
⸻
A Pattern of Gambling and Tax Fraud
The latest filings add to Goldstein’s already questionable gambling history. In his original indictment, prosecutors revealed that Goldstein previously won over $50 million in heads-up poker matches against three players in California and Asia in 2016. His failure to report those winnings triggered the initial tax fraud investigation.
Now, with evidence of $51.4 million in winnings from a single player and unreported crypto transactions, prosecutors continue to argue that Goldstein is intentionally hiding assets to avoid tax obligations.
Goldstein’s legal team continues to push back, calling the device monitoring and crypto ban “drastic measures” and insisting he has no intention of fleeing or concealing assets. However, prosecutors are adamant that Goldstein remains a high-flight risk and has proven untrustworthy when it comes to financial transparency.
⸻
Goldstein’s Case Timeline
• January 16, 2025: Goldstein indicted on 22 counts of tax evasion, false tax returns, and fraudulent mortgage applications.
• January 28, 2025: Goldstein pleads not guilty and is ordered to stop playing poker while awaiting trial.
• February 10, 2025: Goldstein is arrested for alleged cryptocurrency transfers from undisclosed wallets.
• February 13, 2025: Released from jail after denying ownership of crypto wallets.
• February 27, 2025: Goldstein appeals the court’s decision to monitor his devices, calling it “drastic”.
⸻
What’s Next for Goldstein?
Goldstein’s trial is scheduled to begin later in 2025, and if convicted, he could face significant prison time and millions in tax penalties. With $65.3 million in total winnings and unpaid taxes still being investigated, prosecutors continue to push for strict monitoring of Goldstein’s assets, electronic devices, and gambling activity.
The case continues to unravel, leaving many wondering — how deep does this tax evasion scheme really go?
Source: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/03/tom-goldstein-won-51-million-48126.htm
