Indicted Lawyer Says Govt. 'Intentionally Misled' Court in Tax Evasion Case
Embattled lawyer and high-stakes poker player Tom Goldstein alleged that prosecutors have "intentionally misled the court" and "made critical false statements" in his tax evasion case.
In previous court filings, prosecutors with the US Department of Justice alleged Goldstein offered cryptocurrency and other things of value "to a potential witness in the case who has intimate knowledge of his and his law firm's finances and income — and that there was no other credible reason for doing so than to attempt to prevent the potential witness from assisting in the investigation."
Goldstein filed a motion on March 10 to compel the production of the witnesses' grand jury testimony. In a March 14 opposing motion, prosecutors, who have not charged Goldstein with witness tampering, clarified that "the witness has explained that (Goldstein) did not suggest that the witness not assist in the investigation, and the witness cannot testify as to Defendant’s subjective intent."
Still, they said "the facts demonstrate that (Goldstein) made continued offers of cryptocurrency and things of value to the witness who had key information about Defendant’s conduct after the investigation went overt."
In a March 18 filing, Goldstein's attorneys called this a "belated confession" that was "made only when faced with the imminent prospect of being required to disclose the testimony" and that "shows that the government’s prior representations to the Court on this issue were at a minimum deeply misleading, and at worst intentionally false."
Texts Show Offers of Crypto, Student Loan Payments to Witness
Though prosecutors opposed Goldstein's request to review grand jury testimony, they submitted as evidence a series of text messages from the witness, who was an employee at Goldstein & Russell when the government began its investigation into Goldstein in 2020.
In a November 2020 text message, the witness, who had recently quit the firm, wrote that Goldstein had "stalled" on posting the job for their replacement "about three weeks to throw off the irs (sic)."
"Lol would that really throw them off?" the unnamed recipient of the text message replied.
"Probably not, but when I quit he mentioned that it would look suspicious to the IRS," the witness wrote back. "Like I knew something."
A few weeks later, the witness wrote that Goldstein was "losing it" and that "this tax stuff must be getting to him because he keeps offering me money."
"Bitcoin, student loan payments, a $10k bonus when a big case comes in. expensive headphones. Every time he sees me," the witness wrote on Jan. 21, 2021. "It's so so uncomfortable."
Prosecutors argued that even though the witness did not state that Goldstein told them to not cooperate with the government, "the absence of a specific request not to cooperate does little to undermine the strong inference that Defendant (a highly sophisticated attorney) was attempting (to) influence the witness by offering the witness things of value well after the witness had announced that the witness would be resigning, and the witness’s replacement was hired."
"Lack of Candor"
In the March 18 filing, Goldstein's attorneys argued that his reputation "was gravely injured by the government’s false and misleading allegations in public filings" that he bribed a witness, as well as that he "used cryptocurrency accounts in violation of his release conditions" and "has access to millions of dollars in secret cryptocurrency accounts."
"The defense respectfully suggests that the Court address at the March 25 hearing whether sanctions against the government are warranted—in the form of a rebuking the government on the record—for its lack of candor," Goldstein's attorneys wrote.
Goldstein, the founder of SCOTUSblog and a prominent US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) attorney, faces charges related to tax evasion, preparing false and fraudulent tax returns, and making false statements on mortgage applications. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Tom Goldstein Case Timeline
- Jan. 16, 2025 - Federal grand jury charges Tom Goldstein with 22 counts related to tax evasion, preparing false and fraudulent tax returns, and making false statements on mortgage applications.
- Jan. 21, 2025 - Goldstein revealed to be "best friends" with social media playboy Dan Bilzerian, who called him a reckless gambler.
- Jan. 28, 2025 - Goldstein pleads not guilty and is ordered to stop playing poker while awaiting trial.
- Feb. 10, 2025 - Goldstein is arrested after prosecutors accuse him of making transactions from undisclosed cryptocurrency wallets.
- Feb. 11, 2025 - Goldstein denies ownership of the wallets and demands release.
- Feb. 13, 2025 - Goldstein is released from custody as Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan found the government hadn't proved by "clear and convincing evidence" that he violated pretrial release conditions. Judge Sullivan orders that Goldstein have his electronic devices monitored and be prohibited from using cryptocurrency.
- Feb. 27, 2025 - Goldstein appeals release conditions and calls device monitoring "drastic."
- March 7, 2025 - Government responds to Goldstein's appeal and reveals that he won $51 million gambling against a single player from May 2022-May 2024.
- March 14, 2025 - PokerNews reveals that Goldstein lost big to other high-stakes poker players at Kevin Hart's July 2024 birthday bash in Mykonos, Greece.
