High-Stakes Poker and Tax Fraud: Supreme Court Lawyer Sentenced to Six Years

Tom Goldstein, a high-stakes poker-playing Supreme Court attorney, was sentenced to six years in prison for tax fraud. Goldstein was convicted of tax and mortgage fraud stemming from his ultra-high-stakes poker habits. The case involves millions in unpaid taxes and false mortgage applications.

Goldstein argued 44 cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and founded SCOTUSblog. Despite his distinguished legal career, Goldstein's poker habits led to his downfall. He played high-stakes poker matches against notable figures such as billionaire banker Andy Beal and actor Tobey Maguire. One of his most memorable moments was during a live-streamed poker game where he accidentally mucked the winning hand at showdown in a pot worth $543,000.

Goldstein was accused of failing to pay $5.3 million worth of taxes from 2016-2021. He won $13.8 million in Asia in 2016 and another $26.4 million against Alex Gores. In 2018, Goldstein returned from Asia with a duffel bag containing $1 million in cash. Additionally, prosecutors claimed he submitted false mortgage applications to purchase a $2.6 million home in the nation’s capital.