High-stakes poker player and prominent attorney Thomas Goldstein pleaded not guilty earlier this week to 22 charges related to his alleged underreporting of millions of dollars of winnings from private games in the US and overseas. Goldstein, 54, entered the plea in a Maryland federal courtroom, a little over a week after being indicted on a stunning assortment of charges tied to or resulting from his poker activity.
Goldstein, most famous for his arguing numerous cases before the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS), will have outside representation in his case before US District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby. The co-founder of the SCOTUSblog, famous in legal circles, is free on bond following Tuesday's initial hearing.
The bond hearing involved numerous restrictions, most of which are typical for felony cases. Goldstein will face travel restrictions, generally being limited to the greater Washington, D.C. area, and he has surrendered his passports. He has also been ordered to not open new bank accounts, draw on lines of credit, or conduct other significant financial transactions without court approval.
Pursuant to this being a gambling-related case, he was also ordered not to play poker or indulge in other forms of gambling, though in a moment before the judge on Tuesday, he asserted his belief that "poker is not gambling." The bond terms also ban the use of alcohol or drugs, with random testing another condition of his pre-trial release.
Bond consists solely of property surety
Perhaps the most unusual development is that Goldstein and his counsel reached an agreement with the court for him to provide a cashless bond. Instead, he had originally put up the title for his home in a private cul-de-sac to the northwest of central D.C. The 5,000-square-foot home is valued at more than $3 million, though a partial lien on the property exists, leaving its net worth at about $1.8 million.
However, Goldstein almost immediately filed a motion with the court to change the property involved in the agreement. That bond agreement called for "100 percent of the interest of all owners on record" to be put up as bond collateral. The home in the exclusive Wesley Heights neighborhood is co-owned equally by Goldstein's wife, who was overseas at the time of his arrest.
After consulting with her own attorneys, Goldstein's wife declined to sign on to the property-secured bond deal. The latest motion from Goldstein declares, "The agreement to forfeit property requires the signature of the co-owner of the property, Mr. Goldstein’s wife. She has just returned to the Washington area from overseas travel and consulted with counsel regarding concerns that a minor violation of the terms of release could put her interest in the property at risk of forfeiture."
The initial court form requiring all owners of the D.C. property to be declared and to sign their acceptance of conditions for the bond agreement also appears to omit any mention of Goldstein's wife's co-ownership as filed.
The motion continues by asking the court to accept several other properties owned by various Goldstein family members that collectively exceed the value of the D.C. home. The motion then asks for the court to address conflicting language in the bond agreement, declaring that Goldstein's family members also fear forfeiture of their property over any purported "minor" bond violation.
The motion sidesteps entirely, however, why the replacement property was needed, although among the charges that Goldstein faces are that he used funds from his law firm as cash gifts and health-insurance premiums for four women with whom he was having or hoped to have extramarital relationships.
Trial mechanics already underway
As for the case, the next step is a joint status report due on February 4 from both the prosecution and defense and an initial scheduling conference two days later. It is possible but perhaps unlikely that a trial date could be set at that first scheduling conference, due to the complexity of the case.
Goldstein's primary attorneys, John Lauro and Christopher Kise, told Reuters, "Mr. Goldstein will vigorously defend against these charges, and we look forward to his exoneration."
