Former U.S. Supreme Court attorney Tom Goldstein was arrested and detained on Monday after a federal judge in Maryland ruled that he had violated the terms of his pretrial release in connection with tax-related charges. Goldstein, known for his work as the publisher of SCOTUSblog, was accused of concealing assets and violating court orders as part of an ongoing investigation tied to his high-stakes poker activities.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan determined that Goldstein posed a flight risk after prosecutors revealed that he had transferred millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to hidden accounts. The judge’s decision to revoke his release came after allegations that Goldstein had been deliberately concealing financial information from the court.
Goldstein, who argued over 40 cases before the Supreme Court before retiring from legal practice in 2023, faces 22 counts of tax evasion and other charges related to his gambling career. The charges stem from Goldstein’s alleged use of funds from his law firm to cover gambling debts and his failure to report significant poker winnings.
Defense attorneys John Lauro and Christopher Kise, who previously represented Goldstein, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a separate ruling, Judge Sullivan indicated that Goldstein could represent himself in the ongoing case, as Goldstein claimed he was unable to afford legal representation.
Goldstein was indicted last month for allegedly underreporting his gambling winnings and using law firm resources to settle personal debts. Federal prosecutors contend that he borrowed millions to fund poker games and made improper payments through his firm, Goldstein & Russell.
In the most recent developments, Maryland prosecutors issued a new arrest warrant on Monday, alleging that Goldstein received over $8 million in cryptocurrency and transferred more than $6 million in just five days. They claim that Goldstein failed to disclose these transactions as required by court orders.
Prosecutors argued that the timing and scale of the cryptocurrency transfers indicated that Goldstein was preparing to move his assets offshore, potentially in an attempt to flee the country. They also accused him of attempting to obstruct the investigation by offering cryptocurrency in exchange for a witness’s silence regarding his personal and law firm finances.
Goldstein pleaded not guilty to the charges on January 27, and was initially granted pretrial release. However, the latest allegations have led to his detention as he prepares to face the tax charges in federal court.
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