Indicted lawyer Tom Goldstein allegedly “misplaced a considerable sum of cash” in high-stakes poker matches at actor Kevin Hart’s 2024 birthday bash in Greece, and it has landed him in sizzling water with the US Division of Justice.
In paperwork filed in a Maryland federal court docket final week, prosecutors alleged that Goldstein, who in January was charged with tax fraud associated to high-stakes poker matches, had entry to “unknown wallets” that made him a “critical” flight danger. To again up this assertion, they referenced a visit Goldstein made to a July 2024 multi-day celebration in Mykonos, Greece that was “attended by different ultrahigh-stakes poker gamers.”
Prosecutors say Goldstein misplaced huge on the occasion and settled up utilizing an unidentified cryptocurrency pockets. Goldstein allegedly despatched $200,000 from the pockets to the “sport runner” whose accountability it was “to coordinate the method of settling wins and losses among the many gamers.”
The federal government argued that the crypto transaction “solely underscores the significance of constant to observe (Goldstein’s) digital units to forestall him from utilizing cryptocurrency transactions to try to flee or … to intervene with the investigation or potential witnesses to his prison conduct.”
Although prosecutors did not say whose occasion it was, PokerNews discovered from somebody who was at Hart’s occasion, talking on the situation of anonymity, that Goldstein was in attendance alongside different high-stakes poker gamers.
Tom Goldstein Received $51M Playing In opposition to Single Participant
Excessive-Stakes Poker Gamers at Huge Birthday Celebration
Hart, an A-list actor and former PokerStars ambassador, celebrated his forty fifth birthday in July 2024 in Mykonos, Greece with a multi-day celebration. Instagram posts present the occasion was attended by high-stakes poker gamers together with Invoice Perkins, Andrew Robl, Antonio Esfandiari and Edwin Ting.
“One heck of a Bday Celebration in Mykonos !,” Esfandiari wrote in a July 9, 2024 Instagram publish. “Monster thanks to @cowboyeddie888 for making all of it occur. Completely happy bday to @kevinhart4real . Every week that can by no means be forgotten!!!”
Images present a rowdy scene on the multi-day bash at Nammos Seaside Bar restaurant, a sizzling spot for Hollywood actors and different rich celebrities. The occasion, which made headlines when Hart left workers with a $40,000 tip, featured numerous champagne bottles, uptempo DJ units and dancing in waist-high water on the Aegean Sea shore.
And, as prosecutors allege, there was additionally high-stakes poker being performed. “Through the occasion, (Goldstein) performed in a sequence of poker matches with different attendees,” they wrote.
Attorneys for Goldstein didn’t reply to a request for remark from PokerNews. Assistant US Legal professional Patrick Kibbe referred PokerNews to the general public affairs officer of the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Maryland, who didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Perkins, a Texas-based hedge fund supervisor, has a documented friendship with Goldstein and spoke to Bloomberg Regulation Information concerning the costs towards his poker good friend. “I’m a betting particular person,” Perkins advised the outlet in February. “I’m keen to wager there’s no conviction.”
Robl, one of many high high-stakes money sport gamers on this planet, additionally has a connection to Goldstein. He and Phil Ivey famously bailed out Macau businessman Paul Phua for $2.5 million after his 2014 arrest in reference to an alleged unlawful betting operation at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Goldstein represented Phua within the high-profile case, which was later dismissed.
Ting, in the meantime, has had his personal share of authorized bother associated to high-stakes poker video games. In 2014, a federal choose in Manhattan sentenced the New York poker participant to 5 months in jail and ordered him to forfeit $2 million for working unlawful high-stakes poker video games from 2010 to 2013.
Goldstein Goes Hollywood
Hart is a widely known high-stakes poker fanatic and notably performed within the 2017 $300,000 buy-in Tremendous Excessive Curler Bowl. He is additionally performed in high-stakes money video games with gamers like Robl, Jean-Robert Bellande and Rob Yong.
The Get Arduous and Jumanji star has stayed near poker through the years. Weeks earlier than his personal occasion, Hart attended Perkins’ fifty fifth birthday celebration on Moskito Island within the British Virgin Islands, based on a video posted to YouTube in March 2024.
This is not the primary we have heard of Goldstein rubbing elbows with the Hollywood elite. The indictment towards him states that he as soon as helped an unnamed Hollywood actor get better $15.6 million in poker winnings when his Texas billionaire opponent refused to pay out.
Goldstein, the founding father of SCOTUSblog and a outstanding US Supreme Court docket (SCOTUS) legal professional, faces costs associated to tax evasion, making ready false and fraudulent tax returns, and making false statements on mortgage functions. He has pleaded not responsible to all costs.
Tom Goldstein Says He’s Extra Than $3.3M in Debt
Tom Goldstein Case Timeline
Jan. 16, 2025 – Federal grand jury costs Tom Goldstein with 22 counts associated to tax evasion, making ready false and fraudulent tax returns, and making false statements on mortgage functions. Jan. 21, 2025 – Goldstein revealed to be “finest associates” with social media playboy Dan Bilzerian, who referred to as him a reckless gambler.Jan. 28, 2025 – Goldstein pleads not responsible and is ordered to cease taking part in poker whereas awaiting trial.Feb. 10, 2025 – Tom Goldstein is arrested after prosecutors accuse him of creating transactions from undisclosed cryptocurrency wallets. Feb. 11, 2025 – Goldstein denies possession of the wallets and calls for launch.Feb. 13, 2025 – Goldstein is launched from custody as Justice of the Peace Decide Timothy J. Sullivan discovered the federal government hadn’t proved by “clear and convincing proof” that he violated pretrial launch situations. Decide Sullivan orders that Goldstein have his digital units monitored and be prohibited from utilizing cryptocurrency. Feb. 27, 2025 – Goldstein appeals launch situations and calls gadget monitoring “drastic.” March 7, 2025 – Authorities responds to Goldstein’s attraction and divulges that he gained $51 million playing towards a single participant from Could 2022-Could 2024.
*Images courtesy Kevin Hart & Thomas H. by way of Instagram & WikiCommons
Connor Richards
Editor & Dwell Reporter U.S.
