Supreme Court litigator Thomas Goldstein sentenced to six years in federal prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud.
Thomas Goldstein has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud. The prominent Supreme Court litigator and co-founder of SCOTUSblog was found guilty of eight felonies in a February trial after prosecutors proved he funneled millions from his law firm to cover gambling debts. The government argued that Goldstein’s actions were motivated by "pure, unrelenting greed." He failed to report income from high-stakes poker matches and submitted fraudulent mortgage applications that omitted over $14 million in liabilities. While the government sought an eight-year sentence, Goldstein received six years, along with five years of probation and a $3.1 million restitution order. During the trial, Goldstein admitted to a serious gambling addiction and expressed disappointment in his failure to meet professional standards. He intends to appeal the sentence. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes noted that while Goldstein built a career arguing for the rule of law, he repeatedly violated that principle for his own financial benefit.