Tom Goldstein Trial Day 13: Attorney Claimed Accountants Made 'Catastrophic F***-Up'
PokerNews is in Greenbelt, Maryland for more coverage of the federal criminal trial of attorney and high-stakes poker player Tom Goldstein, who is accused of tax fraud related to millions in poker winnings.
Today's proceedings could feature testimony from some big names, including legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and high-stakes poker pro Andrew Robl, who the defense said it expected to call to testify.
PokerNews was also at the courthouse on Wednesday and covered testimony from tax preparer Walter Deyhle, investor Dai Wai Chin Feman and IRS Special Agent Jack McDonald.
Day 13 Ends
Feb. 5, 2026, 5:11 p.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Day 13 has wrapped up after the cross-examination and a brief re-direct of forensic accountant Zachary Marks. The trial will resume on Monday.
Expert's Credentials Questioned on Cross
Feb. 5, 2026, 5:07 p.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
After the jury returned from break, the defense finished its questioning of accountant Zachary Marks.
On cross-examination, the prosecution emphasized that Marks had never worked professionally as a tax preparer and made other efforts to discredit his expertise.
Afternoon Break
Feb. 5, 2026, 2:56 p.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
The jury has been sent on a five-minute afternoon break ahead of the cross-examination of Zachary Marks.
Expert Witness Says Tax Advisor Was Negligent
Feb. 5, 2026, 2:24 p.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
The defense called Zachary Marks, a forensic accountant specializing in fraud investigations for FTI Consulting, as an expert witness to testify about the practices of Tom Goldstein's tax preparers at GRF CPAs & Advisors.
Marks testified that GRF was negligent and did not ask the necessary questions in preparing Goldstein's taxes.
“They failed to ask the questions to their tax client," Marks said.
Robl Back on Stand for Cross-Examination
Feb. 5, 2026, 1:47 p.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Andrew Robl is back on the stand after the lunch break for cross-examination about his relationship with Tom Goldstein.
The prosecution also asked Robl about his and Goldstein's relationships with Malaysian gambling mogul Paul Phua, including whether he knew about Phua owning a bank a Montenegro. Robl said he didn't.
Lunch Break
Feb. 5, 2026, 11:59 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
The court is on lunch break following the direct examination of defense witness and high-stakes poker pro Andrew Robl.
The trial will resume at approximately 1 p.m. local time.
Cash Game Legend Andrew Robl Talks Coaching, Staking
Feb. 5, 2026, 11:30 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Cash game legend Andrew Robl took the stand to testify about coaching Tom Goldstein and staking him in his matches against Alec Gores, "Tango," and "Chairman" that resulted in over $50 million in profit — the majority of which, the defense emphasized, did not go to Goldstein personally.
“I thought I could train him to beat Alec Gores and invest in it and make some money from it," Robl said when asked why he took the offer.
Read more about Robl's testimony here.
Real Estate Lender Takes Stand
Feb. 5, 2026, 11:21 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
The prosecution's final witness of the day was Maxwell Howell of the real estate settlement agency MTA Title & Escrow in Maryland. Howell testified about Thomas Goldstein's mortgage applications and alleged failure to disclose gambling debts, though the applications did not involve his firm.
Goldstein is accused of falsely omitting $15 million in gambling debts on applications to two separate mortgage lenders.
Morning Break
Feb. 5, 2026, 11:01 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
The jury has been sent on their morning break after the cross-examination, re-direct and a brief re-cross of IRS Special Agent Jack McDonald. The prosecution will call one more witness today.
Goldstein Blamed Accountants for "Catastrophic F***-Up"
Feb. 5, 2026, 10:59 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Day 13 began with cross-examination of IRS Special Agent Jack McDonald, who testified about an interview he and other agents conducted with Goldstein in the beginning stages of the investigation.
Goldstein's attorney, Jonathan Kravis, focused specifically on money Goldstein received from Malaysian gambling mogul Paul Phua, which prosecutors claim was gambling winnings disguised as loans.
Kravis also shifted blame from his client, having McDonald testify that, during the IRS interview, Goldstein told agents his tax trouble "all comes down to a catastrophic f*** up” by his accountants.
Day 13 of Trial Underway
Feb. 5, 2026, 10:13 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Day 13 of the trial is now underway after Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby read portions of Jeffrey Toobin's New York Times story to the jury as part of an agreement between the two parties.
Judge Giggsby also noted a number of relevant bank accounts that will be discussed, including those of Andrew Robl, Kevin Hart, Dan Bilzerian, Antonio Esfandiari, Eric Bonetta, Lauren Roberts, and Chamath Palihapitiya.
Catch-Up: What Happened on Day 12?
Feb. 5, 2026, 9:51 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
On Wednesday's Day 12 of the trial, the prosecution continued building its case and called witnesses Walter Deyhle, who was Goldstein's tax preparer, investor Dai Wai Chin Feman and IRS Special Agent Jack McDonald.
That included a contentious cross-examination of Deyhle, who admitted to some mistakes in filing Goldstein's tax returns and with what he initially told IRS investigators.
Toobin Won't Testify
Feb. 5, 2026, 9:50 a.m. Eastern
Connor Richards — Reporting from Greenbelt, Maryland
Ahead of Day 13 of the trial, Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled a hearing to hear arguments on whether to subpoena legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who wrote a tell-all piece for The New York Times Magazine in December 2025. Prosecutors wanted Toobin to testify and the defense has moved to quash the subpoena.
However, the parties informed Judge Griggsby this morning that they had reached an agreement and the prosecution withdrew its request for Toobin to testify.
