Poker Writer
Prosecutors are seeking a top-of-the-range sentence of eight years for Thomas Goldstein after he was convicted of tax and financial crimes that he committed during his part-time side career as a high-stakes poker player. Goldstein, a prominent Washington lawyer by trade, was convicted in February on 12 of 16 counts of tax evasion.
The fall from grace for Goldstein will culminate with him landing in prison. The debate now becomes just how long he deserves to be behind bars.
A federal judge will preside over the sentencing scheduled for June 16th in Greenbelt, Maryland. The judge will consider the prosecutors’ recommended sentence.
‘Pure Unrelenting Greed’ Say Prosecutors
The sentencing memorandum goes into detail to lay out the case against Goldstein and why it recommends a sentence at the top of the range. It breaks down the sophisticated and multi-layered scheme and makes sure to point out all the ways Goldstein continued his scheme and how he concealed his income each year.
The memorandum takes into account just how long Goldstein’s subversion persisted, calling it “flagrant and egregious”. From 2012 to the present when he was finally caught, the long-standing nature of his scheme makes the sentencing recommendation more strict.
It goes on to describe Goldstein’s character in unflattering terms:
His motivation was singular: pure, unrelenting greed. Whether funneling gambling income through offshore bank accounts, shaving millions off his true law firm income, or lying to his lenders, Goldstein’s crimes always sought to advance and maintain his exorbitant lifestyle, replete with Bentleys, globe-trotting vacations, and a $200,000 watch.
Tax fraud is typically punished by jail terms averaging 15 months, and in the most extreme cases, by sentences of up to 5 years.
But for Goldstein, the punishment may be more severe, given his multiple brazen attempts to conceal his wrongdoing over the past decade. It led the prosecutors to recommend the range of 78-97 months, from 6 and a half years and up to as many as eight years.
The prosecutors also note that a strict multi-year sentence is not only just but necessary to deter others from participating in similar fraud.
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