Tom Goldstein, a former U.S. Supreme Court lawyer, was arrested and detained on Monday after a Maryland judge ruled he violated the terms of his pretrial release related to tax charges. Goldstein, who is also the publisher of the SCOTUSblog news website, faces accusations connected to his poker playing career.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan decided that Goldstein posed a flight risk. The judge’s decision followed claims by prosecutors that Goldstein transferred millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to hidden accounts, violating court orders.
Goldstein, 53, was ordered to remain in federal custody as he fights charges that were filed against him last month. These charges include 22 counts of tax evasion and other tax-related crimes tied to his involvement in poker. Goldstein, who retired from legal practice in 2023 after arguing over 40 cases before the Supreme Court, has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
His defense lawyers, John Lauro and Christopher Kise, have not yet responded to requests for comment. In his court order, Judge Sullivan noted that Goldstein had chosen to represent himself in the case.
Goldstein was indicted last month for allegedly winning and losing millions of dollars in high-stakes poker games. He is accused of using improper payments through his law firm, Goldstein & Russell, to cover gambling debts. He has denied the charges and was granted pretrial release on January 27.
However, federal prosecutors allege that Goldstein received over $8 million in cryptocurrency and transferred more than $6 million in the past five days. Goldstein was required to disclose all of his financial accounts, but prosecutors say he failed to do so. They argue that his actions suggest an attempt to hide his assets and flee the country.
Additionally, prosecutors claim Goldstein attempted to prevent a potential witness, who had knowledge of his personal finances and law firm transactions, from cooperating in the investigation. They say he offered “things of value, including cryptocurrency,” to the individual.
Goldstein is also accused of borrowing millions of dollars to stake poker games and underreporting his gambling winnings. His law firm allegedly paid off his poker-related debts with firm funds.
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