High-stakes poker player and lawyer Tom Goldstein declared over $1.7 million in gambling winnings in the same year he was indicted and banned from playing poker. Prosecutors argued he posed a flight risk, and the judge rejected his request to postpone sentencing.
Tom Goldstein, a lawyer and high-stakes poker player facing hardship, won a seven-figure sum in the same year he was indicted and ordered to quit poker. However, he claims he won the $1.7 million before his arraignment in January 2025.
Goldstein was convicted earlier this year of tax charges stemming from heads-up poker tournaments in which he won and lost tens of millions of dollars. In March, he filed a motion to postpone sentencing, which was scheduled for June 16. The former star lawyer also requested a retrial or a full acquittal, arguing that the jury's verdict "is directly attributable to a series of legal errors."
Prosecutors opposed delaying sentencing, arguing that Goldstein "posed a significant flight risk in the face of justice" and pointing to his desire for heads-up poker against Texas billionaire Andy Beal. Now, they've further highlighted his gambling earnings in 2025.
$1.7 million in new gambling revenue
In response to Goldstein's motion to extend his sentencing hearing, prosecutors wrote that Goldstein declared more than $3 million in taxable income for 2025, including more than $1.7 million in gambling winnings. Goldstein was indicted on January 16, 2025, and shortly thereafter ordered to abstain from gambling or playing poker.
The federal prosecutor wrote on May 6: "These figures cast doubt on his repeated claims of being unable to pay legal fees, and on whether he complied with the release conditions of the ban on gambling and the prohibition against financial transactions without prior notice to the pretrial services agency." "Furthermore, even if he did not mislead the court or violate any conditions, his willingness to file income tax returns in the year he was banned from gambling (2025) underscores his choice not to file taxes for the years he was still actively gambling (2022-2024)."
The prosecutor further argued that Goldstein's gambling earnings in recent years, including more than $21 million in 2022, supported the view that he "posed a significant flight risk," and that delaying sentencing "would give him more time and opportunity to escape."
But his lawyers argued in filings Monday that bank records showed the gambling proceeds for 2025 were deposited before Goldstein's arraignment on January 27, and therefore "before the conditions for his release in this case were applied." Furthermore, according to his lawyers, Goldstein had already reported these gambling proceeds to a pretrial service agency in January 2025.
Goldstein's lawyers accused prosecutors of continuing "a disturbing pattern of reckless and false accusations against Mr. Goldstein."
They wrote, "Following the government's objection, the defense requested evidence that Mr. Goldstein violated these release conditions in 2025—but the government has not yet responded." "In fact, Mr. Goldstein has fully complied with the release conditions since they were imposed, including the conditions that he does not gamble and disclose certain financial transactions to the pretrial services."
The judge rejected the request to postpone sentencing.
Also on Monday, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby rejected Goldstein's motion to postpone sentencing, stating that Goldstein "failed to provide sufficient justification" to do so.
Earlier this year, Judge Griggsby, who presided over Goldstein's high-profile case in Maryland, ordered that Goldstein's sentencing remain unchanged at June 16, and that his motion for acquittal or retrial be heard on the same day.
In requesting a delay in sentencing, Goldstein's lawyers pointed out that lead counsel Jonathan Kravis had scheduling conflicts and that the post-trial briefing raised "many complex issues" that required time and effort to address.
Goldstein was convicted in February on one count of tax evasion, four counts of willful failure to pay taxes on time, three counts of making false statements to mortgage lenders, and four counts of aiding and abetting the preparation of false tax returns.
Common Mistakes Review: Why Do You Keep Losing? The Problem Lies Here
Most players lose money not because of luck, but because they repeat the same mistakes.
These debriefings will help you identify the most common mistakes and understand how to correct them:
Why does constantly calling cause you to lose money?
[Bluff Imbalance] What are the costs of excessive bluffing?
Why do you always lose on the last street? [Never fold]
[Slow Play Error] Why do I lose big pots when I play slowly?
What's the problem with betting too small?
Why do people lose money when they bet too much?
[Emotional Issues] How do emotions affect your decision-making?
[Range Misjudgment] Analysis of Errors Caused by a Lack of Understanding of Range
[Location Ignore] What are the consequences of ignoring location?
[Misinterpreting People] The Impact of Misinterpreting an Opponent's Behavior
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