A leading Washington appellate attorney who argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court was handcuffed and taken into custody Friday after a federal judge sentenced him to six years in prison for tax evasion and related fraud.
Thomas Goldstein, 56, co-founder of the legal news site SCOTUSblog and a partner at Goldstein & Russell, appeared before U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby at the end of a day-long sentencing hearing. Griggsby, a Biden appointee, rejected defense requests for supervised release and ordered Goldstein to begin serving his sentence immediately, citing flight risk and the low likelihood of a successful appeal.
Prosecutors had sought more than eight years. The judge imposed a six-year term, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered $3.1 million in restitution for unpaid federal taxes.
“Every American understands that they have an obligation to pay taxes,” Griggsby said. “I don’t think this is a close case.”
According to prosecutors, Goldstein concealed more than $25 million in income between 2016 and 2023, largely tied to high-stakes poker games in the United States and abroad, resulting in more than $9.5 million in unpaid taxes. A jury convicted him in February on 12 of 16 counts after a six-week trial, including tax evasion, filing false returns, and mortgage fraud. He had pleaded not guilty after being charged in January 2025.
In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors described his motive as “pure, unrelenting greed” and said the public should expect more from an officer of the court of his stature.
Goldstein’s attorneys portrayed the case as one of addiction rather than calculation, noting he had “spent many years gambling with money he didn’t have.” They asked for a sentence that would allow him to repay debts, seek treatment, and remain productive. The judge acknowledged his professional brilliance but said it did not excuse the crimes.
Before the case, Goldstein was widely regarded as one of the nation’s top Supreme Court advocates. He also served on the legal team representing Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election dispute. His conviction marks a striking fall for a figure long prominent in Washington’s legal community.
