Washington lawyer Tom Goldstein was sentenced on Friday, July 24, 2026, to six years in federal prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud. The sentencing, delivered by U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby in Greenbelt, Maryland, follows a case that revealed the prominent appellate attorney’s secretive life as a high-stakes poker player who traveled the globe for multimillion-dollar games.
Court Verdict and Sentencing
The sentence follows a six-week trial that concluded in February, during which a jury convicted Goldstein on 12 of 16 counts, including eight felonies. Specifically, jurors found him guilty of one count of tax evasion, three counts of mortgage fraud, four counts of willfully failing to pay taxes, and four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. According to Politico, the judge also ordered Goldstein to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term and pay more than $3.1 million in restitution.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of more than eight years. In contrast, defense lawyers requested a sentence of supervision, arguing it would allow Goldstein to address his gambling addiction, repay his debts, and contribute to society. Judge Griggsby ordered Goldstein to surrender immediately, citing a risk of flight and stating she did not believe his appeal would succeed.
Financial Crimes and Poker Gambling
Goldstein, 56, was charged in January 2025 with concealing earnings and losses from poker games in the U.S. and abroad. Prosecutors stated that between 2016 and 2023, Goldstein concealed more than $25 million in income, which deprived the federal government of over $9.5 million in unpaid taxes, according to apnews.com. The government alleged that Goldstein diverted funds from his former law firm, Goldstein & Russell, to pay gambling debts and improperly deducted those debts as business expenses.
The trial featured testimony from “Spider-Man” star Tobey Maguire, an avid poker player who had enlisted Goldstein’s help to recover a gambling debt from a billionaire. Defense lawyers described Goldstein as someone who gambled with money he did not have and noted that he was neither wealthy enough to sustain losses against billionaires nor skilled enough to win at a professional rate.
Professional Background and Impact
Before his retirement in 2023 at age 52, Goldstein was a highly regarded litigator who argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a co-founder of the legal news website Reuters and a member of the legal team that represented Democrat Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election litigation against George W. Bush.
Addressing the court before his sentence, Goldstein expressed regret and stated he had not held himself to the standards expected of a prominent lawyer. Prosecutors characterized his actions as being motivated by pure, uninhibited greed
and an obvious disdain for the tax system.
Summary of Legal Convictions
| Charge Type | Count/Detail |
|---|---|
| Tax Evasion | 1 count |
| Willfully Failing to Pay Taxes | 4 counts |
| Aiding/Assisting False Tax Returns | 4 counts |
| Mortgage Fraud | 3 counts |
| Total Convictions | 12 of 16 counts |
Goldstein has indicated he will appeal his conviction to the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Keep reading
