Federal Criminal Lawyers

The penalties for federal crimes are outlined in what is known as “Federal Sentencing Guidelines”. However, it is important to note that these are “guidelines”, and both federal prosecutors and federal judges are under no legal obligation to adhere to them.

In many cases, the right defense can result in reduced sentencing in a plea deal that provides for penalties below those of the guidelines.

Penalties will be largely dependent on the specifics of the case and may involve:

• Imprisonment: The majority of federal crimes have penalties that carry the potential for federal imprisonment. With overzealous prosecutors often pursuing multiple counts of multiple crimes, imprisonment can range from years to decades (or even a life sentence).
• Probation: Considering the potentially severe penalty of imprisonment, securing probation is often an ideal outcome.
• Fines: Fines including those for court fees and other imposed penalties are often part of the penalties sought by the court.
• Restitution: Meant to make whole those financially impacted by the crime, restitution is often a component of the penalty phase if convicted.
• Statutory Penalties: In some cases, defendants might face various statutory penalties such as exclusion from Medicaid or Medicare (in the case of health care fraud).
• Forfeiture and Seizure: As part of a criminal investigation or proceeding, prosecutors may seek to seize property or assets under civil forfeiture laws.

According to data from the U.S. Justice Department, over 90% of federal cases result in a guilty plea, with only 2% going to trial and 8% having their cases dismissed. 

Federal cases are often the result of months (if not years) of investigation and boxes of evidence used to build a case that is airtight. All of this happens before the alleged perpetrator of the crime is even informed.

Further, the government has extensive resources and isn’t afraid to spend your hard-earned tax dollars against you in order to make their case.

This is why early intervention is key. If you feel like you may be under investigation, have received a subpoena or are party to a grand jury hearing, don’t hesitate, time is not on your side.

By contacting us early we can often take advantage of opportunities to prevent charges from being filed, have them reduced, or get them kicked down to a lower state court. Hiring a defense team as soon as possible means more time to gather and prepare evidence in your favor, prepare to discredit evidence the prosecution may have, and to come out of the gates swinging.