A Maryland attorney has been indicted on multiple charges, including tax evasion and making false statements to mortgage lenders. The federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment against Thomas C. Goldstein, the sole owner of Goldstein & Russell, P.C., a law firm known for appellate litigation.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron alongside Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert from the Department of Justice's Tax Division.

The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2023, Goldstein engaged in activities to evade taxes. These actions reportedly included diverting legal fees to his personal account for poker debts, misclassifying payments as legal expenses, and using firm assets for personal relationships' salaries without proper work being done.

Goldstein is also accused of underreporting gambling winnings and failing to pay due taxes from 2016 through 2021, except in 2018. Additionally, he allegedly submitted false mortgage applications in 2021 to secure financing for a $2.6-million home in Washington, D.C., omitting significant liabilities such as over $14 million owed on promissory notes and unpaid taxes.

If convicted, Goldstein could face severe penalties: up to five years per tax evasion charge, three years per count of assisting false tax returns preparation, one year per willful failure to pay taxes count, and up to 30 years for each false statement made to mortgage lenders.

The investigation is being conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Kibbe from the District of Maryland and Senior Litigation Counsel Stanley Okula with Trial Attorneys Emerson Gordon-Marvin and Hayter Whitman from the Tax Division.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

For further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its community resources, visit their official website.