Thomas C Goldstein

In January 2025 a federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment, charging Maryland attorney Thomas C. Goldstein with tax evasion, assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, failing to pay taxes, and making false statements to two separate mortgage lenders. Goldstein was allegedly also a high-stakes poker player, frequently playing in games involving millions of dollars. During that time, Goldstein allegedly engaged in a scheme to evade his taxes. Goldstein allegedly took various steps to carry out his scheme, including diverting legal fees that were due to the law firm to his personal bank account, and then using them to pay personal poker-related debts; using the law firm’s assets to satisfy his personal poker debts and falsely classifying those payments as “legal-fee” expenses on the firm’s books and records; and using firm assets to pay salaries and health insurance premiums for people with whom Goldstein had a personal relationship but who performed little or no work for the law firm and did not qualify for its health insurance. In 2021, Goldstein also allegedly submitted false mortgage applications to two separate mortgage lending companies, seeking financing to purchase a $2.6-million home in Washington, D.C. Goldstein allegedly omitted millions of dollars of liabilities, including more than $14 million he owed at the time on two promissory notes, as well as taxes he owed to the IRS. Goldstein’s false statements to one of the mortgage lenders allegedly enabled him to obtain a $1.98 million loan. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the tax evasion charges; three years for each count of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns; a maximum of one year on each of the five counts charging willful failure to pay taxes; and 30 years for each count of making false statements to mortgage lenders. He also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. Goldstein said in March 2023 that he was retiring from his practice, and the law firm he co-founded with Kevin Russell was later renamed Russell & Woofter.