Thomas C. Goldstein, a prominent lawyer in Chevy Chase who argued multiple cases in front of the Supreme Court, was sentenced to six years in federal prison and convicted of tax evasion and mortgage fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
He co-founded the website SCOTUSblog.
Goldstein was the owner of Goldstein & Russell, P.C., a small law firm focused on defending a lower court’s verdict in a higher court like the Supreme Court. According to the DOJ, he was also a frequent gambler.
Between 2016 and 2023, Goldstein stopped paying his taxes on time and conspired a plan to commit tax evasion.
To continue funding his gambling habit, Goldstein underreported his overall income to avoid paying his taxes in full. He did this by redirecting legal fees to his personal account, hiding his overall poker winnings and directing his employees to transfer payments directly to his account. These profits were spent on luxury vacations and gambling.
Goldstein continued to lie when he submitted incorrect mortgage applications so he could purchase a multi-million dollar home in 2021. He failed to list all of his liabilities, including taxes owed to the IRS and other accumulated debts.
On July 24, federal jury found him guilty on one count of tax evasion, four counts of willfully failing to pay taxes, three counts of mortgage fraud and four counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns.
Goldstein is ordered to pay $3,103,427 in restitution costs.
