52 Years Experience in Federal Criminal Defense & Serious Felony Defense

A federal crime is a violation of a statute passed by the United States Congress. A state crime is a violation of a statute or ordinance passed by the state legislature or a local authority. Most federal criminal statutes address conduct of national concern, or which involves interstate criminal activity. However, in recent decades the federal government has become increasingly involved in prosecuting intrastate drug and violent crimes; areas once left almost exclusively to the states. Many crimes are prosecutable in both state and federal courts, although federal authorities rarely choose to separately prosecute defendants for conduct which is already the subject of a state criminal prosecution.

For the most part, federal criminal offenses are investigated by agents of federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service and others. Occasionally, state law enforcement officers work in conjunction with federal agencies.

Federal crimes are usually prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the area where the crime occurred. Sometimes a prosecutor from the United States Department of Justice, or from an agency such at the Environmental Protection Agency will participate in a federal prosecution.

You should contact an attorney immediately. You have important constitutional rights during the investigation that should be protected. How you proceed at this stage may drastically affect the ultimate outcome of your case. If you have further questions about federal crimes, call attorney Alan Spears Today!

If you have received a “target letter” from the United States, DO NOT IGNORE IT. The letter should be seen as an opportunity to address a problem in a direct and strategic fashion. The government’s interest in your situation will not simply go away, even if you do not hear from them again for years. In many situations, prosecution can be avoided by meeting with the government and providing proof that you have not committed a crime or are a witness to a crime. However, you should hire an attorney who is experienced with federal criminal law to assist you in this process. Speaking with prosecutors or agents by yourself may lead to confusion and more evidence being gathered to use in a prosecution. Jonathan Rose has assisted many clients in successfully avoiding federal prosecution, especially in allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud, bid rigging, and “Ponzi” schemes.

As the vast majority of federal criminal cases result in some form of guilty plea, most defendants in federal criminal cases enter into plea agreements with the United States. However, in many instances, it is not in the client’s best interest to enter into a plea agreement with the United States. Plea agreements in federal court often have very little or absolutely no impact on what a client’s sentence will eventually be. They do, however, completely prevent you from appealing your sentence in most circumstances. It is extremely important that your lawyer has a thorough understanding of federal sentencing and procedure to ensure that you make the best decisions possible to protect yourself and your future.