Scotusblog founder convicted of tax evasion and mortgage fraud in maryland federal court — Internal Revenue Service

A prominent Supreme Court attorney and legal commentator was found guilty of concealing millions in gambling income and lying to mortgage lenders to secure a luxury home.

GREENBELT, MD – Thomas C. Goldstein, a well-known appellate lawyer and co-founder of the influential legal website SCOTUSblog, was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday of multiple counts of tax evasion and mortgage fraud following a lengthy trial in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors say Goldstein, 54, of Chevy Chase, concealed millions of dollars in poker winnings and debts while falsifying financial documents to obtain a multimillion-dollar mortgage.

Key Points

Jury convicts attorney and SCOTUSblog founder Thomas C. Goldstein of tax evasion and mortgage fraud
Prosecutors say he hid gambling income and debts while falsifying law firm records and loan applications
Goldstein faces decades in prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled

High-profile attorney accused of concealing millions

According to court documents, Goldstein — who has argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court — used his law firm, Goldstein & Russell, P.C., to disguise personal poker debts and expenses as business transactions between 2016 and 2023. Prosecutors said he diverted client fees to personal accounts, directed payments to creditors, and misclassified gambling-related transactions as “legal-fee” expenses on the firm’s books to avoid tax liability.

Goldstein reportedly failed to pay required federal taxes for multiple years while spending millions on poker, travel, and luxury goods.

False mortgage applications for $2.6 million home

In 2021, prosecutors said Goldstein submitted fraudulent mortgage applications to two lenders while attempting to purchase a $2.6 million home in Washington, D.C. He allegedly omitted more than $14 million in personal debts and unpaid federal taxes. One of the lenders approved a $1.98 million loan based on his false statements.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the verdict “holds Thomas Goldstein accountable for cheating the tax system and lying to mortgage lenders.”

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland added, “He gambled that he wouldn’t get caught, and that gamble did not pay off.”

Convictions and potential sentence

Goldstein was convicted of tax evasion, preparing false tax returns, willful failure to pay taxes, and making false statements to mortgage lenders. He faces up to 30 years in prison for the mortgage fraud counts, five years for tax evasion, three years for each false return, and one year for each failure-to-pay count.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation units led the investigation. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge at a later date.

Tags: Thomas Goldstein, tax evasion, mortgage fraud

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