Feds Allege Tom Goldstein is a Flight Risk Who Wants to Take on Andy Beal

As Tom Goldstein fights his launch situations forward of sentencing in his tax and mortgage fraud case, prosecutors are asking for his detainment and alleging that the celebrity lawyer and ultra-high-stakes poker participant has turn into an elevated flight danger.

Particularly, prosecutors with the US Division of Justice are pointing to Goldstein’s abroad ties to rich gamblers, the unraveling of his marriage and former feedback about eager to play Texas billionaire Andy Beal for tens of thousands and thousands as proof that he “poses a critical danger of flight within the face of simply punishment.”

Goldstein, who has lengthy maintained his innocence even after being discovered responsible on most counts, referred to as the federal government’s allegations “deplorable and unfounded” and accused prosecutors of “invective and advert hominem assaults.”

Lawyer Continues to Combat Case

On Friday, Goldstein, who was convicted in February on tax expenses stemming from high-stakes heads-up poker matches, filed a movement to change the situations of his launch to vary his place of residence from his Washington DC dwelling to both an condo in Maryland or his dad and mom’ residence in South Carolina, citing his deteriorating relationship together with his spouse, Amy Howe, who can be his custodian amid sentencing.

“Sadly, Mr. Goldstein and Ms. Howe are now not at some extent the place it is sensible for them to share a residence,” his attorneys wrote in movement.

This adopted an earlier movement by Goldstein final week requesting a retrial or full acquittal. In a 93-page movement, Goldstein argued that the jury’s verdict is “immediately traceable to a sequence of authorized errors” and that “there was inadequate proof on which an inexpensive jury may convict.”

Prosecutors did not mince phrases in replying to Goldstein. In a withering submitting, they mentioned the previous legal professional “has not but accepted actuality” that “he’s a prison destined for jail.”

“Goldstein’s technique right here is obvious: delay sentencing so long as doable by drowning the Court docket with frivolous claims for post-trial reduction after which demand launch pending his attraction to the Fourth Circuit,” prosecutors wrote in a Tuesday submitting. “Goldstein presently imagines a world the place he stays at massive nicely into 2027, all in determined hope that he’s by no means punished for his crimes.”

Prosecutors additionally opposed Goldstein’s request to change his launch situations, arguing that his weakening ties to the DC space make him an elevated flight danger.

“America was already involved about Goldstein’s danger of flight, however Howe’s unwillingness to proceed serving as Goldstein’s custodian brought about the federal government to reevaluate its place on Goldstein’s launch pending sentencing.”

Feds Level to Poker Feedback About Andy Beal

Prosecutors, who’ve beforehand referred to as Goldstein a flight danger, pointed to his ties to Malaysian playing mogul Paul Phua, who was Goldstein’s shopper, good friend and monetary backer, in addition to his earlier feedback about Texas billionaire Andy Beal, who, he beat for $51 million starting in 2023.

In an interview with The New York Occasions forward of trial, Goldstein claimed he retired from legislation in 2023 to play poker towards an unnamed southern businessman, who PokerNews later revealed to be heads-up legend Beal from The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King fame.

Goldstein went as far as to name taking part in Beal “a approach I could make a quarter-billion {dollars} for the remainder of my life.” Prosecutors tried utilizing these feedback towards him this week, arguing, amid his marriage ending and the probability that he’ll lose his fairness in his DC dwelling, that he “imagines a future for himself—removed from DC—wherein he milks 1 / 4 of a billiondollars from Andy Beal by means of poker.”

“Goldstein’s future plans essentially require him to reenter the orbit of Phua and others exterior the US in order that he can construct up a big sufficient monetary stake to take a run at Beal,” they wrote. “Going through years in jail, and having discovered nothing from his prosecution and conviction, Goldstein has each incentive to depart the US and get a head begin on the following section of his life.”

Goldstein’s attorneys dismissed these allegations in a Wednesday submitting, arguing that the federal government “by no means makes an attempt to elucidate how Mr. Goldstein would obtain such a feat whereas beneath dwelling confinement, topic to ankle monitoring, together with his passport within the possession of Pretrial Companies, beneath a strict no-contact order, whereas his monetary accounts and his pc utilization are carefully monitored.”

“Nor does the federal government adequately clarify why this far-fetched situation is extra likelyif Mr. Goldstein is topic to dwelling confinement in a Washington, DC condo or his dad and mom dwelling in South Carolina,” they wrote.

There have been loads of factors of hostility forward of, throughout, and after Goldstein’s high-profile trial. Initially, in February, prosecutors requested that Goldstein be detained forward of sentencing however later withdrew their request.

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Exterior Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for 3 World Poker Awards for his writing.