A convicted Wall Street swindler whom New York once branded its No. 1 tax deadbeat is living large in California while two active Albany County warrants against him total $59,141,763.16. Daniel Gordon also runs a prison reform charity praised by Gov. Gavin Newsom and promotes companies tied to erectile dysfunction drugs.

Gordon, a former Merrill Lynch trader, pleaded guilty in 2003 to bilking the bank out of $43 million through a wire fraud scheme. State tax records show he now lives with his wife, Kate, in a Rancho Mirage property worth more than $5 million.

The compound measures 10,495 square feet and includes a sunken tennis court, a three-hole putting green, a pool, waterfalls, and a bar, according to a realtor listing. Rancho Mirage residents have included Frank Sinatra, Bill Gates, and President Gerald Ford.

Gordon, 50, has recast himself as a California philanthropist through Gordon Philanthropies, his prison reform charity. Its website features television interviews and photographs of Gordon at ribbon cuttings and events involving the LAPD and California Department of Corrections.

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Newsom sent Gordon a letter in November 2024 praising his contributions and partnership. Newsom wrote, “Thank you again for your generous contributions.” He added, “I look forward to your continued partnership.”

The governor also addressed the letter to “Daniel” and wrote “Thank you!” by hand near his signature. Gordon’s charity displayed the message on Facebook, while Gordon and Newsom’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Breaking News A convicted Wall Street swindler who was named New York’s No. 1 tax deadbeat a decade ago has been living it up in California, running a charity praised by Gov. Gavin Newsom and hawking erectile dysfunction pills — all while dodging a tax bill that has soared to $59.1 million, SWR News has learned.

Daniel Gordon — an ex-Merrill Lynch trader who pleaded guilty in 2003 to bilking the bank out of $43 million in a brazen wire fraud scheme — lives with his wife, Kate, in a 10,495-square-foot spread near Palm Springs, Calif. that’s worth more than $5 million, state tax records show. The sprawling compound in Rancho Mirage — a posh desert enclave whose residents have included Frank Sinatra, Bill Gates and President Gerald Ford — boasts a sunken tennis court, a three-hole putting green and a resort-style pool with cascading waterfalls and a swim-up bar, according to a realtor listing. Meanwhile, 50-year-old Gordon has reinvented himself as a Golden State philanthropist. He operates a prison reform charity called Gordon Philanthropies, doing TV interviews and photo-ops with LAPD and the California Department of Corrections and plastering his website with photos of him smiling at ribbon-cuttings and charitable events. In November 2024, Gordon even got a gushing letter of praise from Gov. Newsom, who addressed the letter to “Daniel” and added a large, handwritten “Thank you!” in addition to his signature at the bottom. The missive is proudly displayed on his charity’s Facebook page. — News News News (@NewsNew97351204) October 20, 2026

California prison officials did not address questions about Gordon’s criminal history or tax debts, instead pointing to rules permitting private gifts. New York officials had placed Gordon atop their “Top 100” tax delinquency list in 2016, when his outstanding warrants totaled $25.1 million.

The debts stem from Gordon’s Merrill Lynch scheme, in which Gordon, then 24, tricked his bosses into wiring $43 million to an offshore shell company through a phony insurance transaction. After he returned the stolen money, federal and state tax authorities still treated it as taxable income.

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During a 2013 bankruptcy trial, Gordon admitted under oath to avoiding more than $34 million in back taxes. He testified that the IRS told him, “Under our laws you owe us taxes … regardless of the fact that it was repaid.”

In 2015, US Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Gerber rejected Gordon’s attempt to eliminate his personal debts through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Gerber found that Gordon had fraudulently concealed $3.1 million in assets, lied under oath, and offered excuses that “insulted the intelligence of the court.”

The trial revealed Gordon had transferred $2 million to a Nevada shell company without staff, offices, or ledgers. Gerber also stopped questioning after Gordon’s lawyer confirmed Gordon charged former New York Knicks center Eddy Curry 89.79% interest on a $570,000 loan, creating a $2 million debt within 18 months.

Gordon claimed he had only $3,147, yet acknowledged living in an Upper East Side apartment costing $19,000 monthly and spending $140,000 on a Hamptons summer rental. He concealed the city lease through a corporate shell.

A whistleblower contacted the New York Department of Taxation and Finance in March 2024 with details about more than $26 million in alleged Gordon holdings. The anonymous Texas entrepreneur identified $4.1 million in California real estate and $22 million in public company shares.

The tipster also directed investigators to a Lower Manhattan stock transfer agent holding shares associated with a corporate vehicle linked to Gordon. An investigator identified as Inv. Politylo promised to “forward this to the appropriate department,” but county records show no lien against Gordon’s Rancho Mirage mansion.

New York tax warrants expire after 20 years, meaning the state has already used half its available collection period. Tax Department spokesman Darren Dopp cited tax secrecy laws when declining to discuss collection efforts, while Attorney General Letitia James’ office said it could act only after receiving a formal referral.

Tax professor Edward Zelinsky said locating Gordon’s California assets should fall within the routine abilities of New York’s lawyers. Timothy Noonan of Hodgson Russ LLP said Albany could domesticate the warrant in California, potentially allowing authorities to freeze bank accounts and pursue the mansion through a local judgment.

Corporate filings show Gordon Philanthropies, penny stock company Polomar Health Services, and GLD Partners share a Los Angeles office suite. SEC records show Gordon controls 49% of Polomar’s voting power, while Polomar spent more than $193,000 buying the dissolving sildenafil drug “Wafesil” from another company Gordon controls.

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