If you're on our website, it's because you're either under federal investigation, or you've already been indicted – and now you’re staring down the most serious criminal process in America. At Spodek Law Group, we don’t sugarcoat. We know exactly what you’re dealing with. This isn’t about a night in local jail. We’re talking about potential decades under federal statutes like 21 U.S.C. §841 (drug trafficking), 18 U.S.C. §1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. §1962 (RICO), or 18 U.S.C. §922 (firearms). Anchorage defendants are being sentenced under these statutes every month. Federal prosecutors, backed by the DEA, FBI, IRS-CI, and even ATF, are playing for keeps. And federal sentencing is brutal.

Here’s the reality. We dedicate every ounce of loyalty, focus, and strategy to you alone. We don’t split allegiances. We’re not here to make comfortable deals for prosecutors. We’re here to rip their case apart when it matters most – in motions, at hearings, before juries. That’s the Spodek way.

Anchorage Federal Criminal Cases: How Real It Gets

Anchorage might look like a small city compared to New York or Los Angeles, but don’t let that fool you. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska is using federal task forces that include FBI field agents, DEA strike teams, IRS forensic accountants, and ATF gun enforcement units. Every one of these agencies works together. And when they decide to bring a federal indictment, that means they already think they’ve built an airtight case against you. Let me be straight – they don’t file unless they feel stacking mandatory counts under the U.S. Code gives them leverage.

• Drug Trafficking: We’ve seen indictments for meth and heroin under 21 U.S.C. §846 conspiracy provisions. Minimums start at 10 years. That’s minimum. With enhancements, it becomes life. We’ve watched Anchorage defendants dragged into conspiracy indictments just for phone calls, for texts, for proximity to others.
• Firearms & Violence: Under 18 U.S.C. §924(c), possessing a firearm during a crime of violence or drug trafficking adds 5, 7, 10 years mandatory consecutive sentences. I’ve seen cases where add-on counts doubled what a judge could even consider doing.
• Fraud, Wire Crimes: Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343) and bank fraud (18 U.S.C. §1344) are charged aggressively – Anchorage has had doctors, business owners, even small family shops hit with fraud indictments involving Medicaid, SBA loans, or online transactions. These are white collar charges, but don’t kid yourself – they carry 20 years a count.
• Forfeiture: Under 21 U.S.C. §853, the government doesn’t just want to jail you. They want your assets. House, vehicles, accounts. Anchorage residents wake up to forfeiture notices attached to everything they worked for. We’ve seen entire hotels seized after drug-related allegations. That’s not hype – that’s the reality of federal asset seizure power.

These aren’t isolated oddities. This is the norm in federal cases here. And once the grand jury indicts, you are already disadvantaged. That’s why we emphasize pre-indictment defense. Federal agents in Alaska spend months, sometimes years, building secret cases. You need to move before they file. That’s how leverage is created.

Anchorage’s Federal Courthouses and Prosecutors

All federal prosecutions in Alaska are handled through the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, with Anchorage as the primary division. You’re not going to Palmer or Wasilla court. You’re going to 222 West 7th Avenue, the James M. Fitzgerald U.S. Courthouse. Your prosecutors will be Assistant U.S. Attorneys who work directly under the President-appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. These lawyers have career training in handling federal jury trials. They use the FBI lab, DEA chemists, IRS financial technology. They often present polished, airtight claims unless someone like us comes in and pushes back line by line.

Federal cases here are managed under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. This is foreign territory for many Alaska-based criminal lawyers. Filing guidelines, motion schedules, protective orders – they all move faster. And if your lawyer doesn’t live and breathe this system, the judge will see through it in five minutes. Trust me, I’ve seen lawyers from state courts get embarrassed in Anchorage federal hearings. It’s painful to watch, and it ruins defendant’s chances.

Federal vs. State Prosecutions in Alaska

Here’s what most defendants don’t realize: a single act, like selling meth, could land you in both state and federal crosshairs. Alaska can charge you under its state code – maybe you’d get a few years, probation, or drug diversion. But when the feds step in, the same act gets hit under 21 U.S.C. §841, mandatory 10 years, no probation, no parole. It’s an entirely different universe. State prosecutors negotiate plea deals by default. Federal prosecutors calculate your guideline range and then see if you’ll cooperate. Cooperation is the golden chip they want – you flip, you testify, you give information, maybe you shave years off. If you don’t? They bury you with stacked indictments.

Most local defense attorneys have no clue how to navigate that distinction. Anchorage clients have told us, “my lawyer thought we’d just get probation.” That mindset is suicidal in federal court. You need a law firm that gets it. We’ve successfully defended cases that stretched between state-Alaska charges and federal-U.S. Attorney indictments, suppressing evidence in one that undermined the other. That’s why experience matters.

Do You Really Need a Lawyer? 100% Yes

Look, people love to ask: should I waste money on a federal lawyer in Anchorage? The short answer – yes. The long answer – absolutely yes. Federal prosecutors win most of their cases, and not because they’re magically smarter, but because the rules of the federal system are designed in their favor. They use 851 enhancements, 924(c) gun add-ons, they stack mail fraud counts. Without serious defense, you are left with plea offers that leave you rotting for decades.

I’ll be straight with you. We’ve seen defendants walk themselves into plea agreements without skilled counsel, only to realize later they admitted to guideline stipulations that added 15 years. By then it’s too late. The prosecutor shrugs, defense counsel says “sorry,” and you’re cuffed up. Don’t ever think you can negotiate with federal prosecutors on your own. You can’t. That’s suicide.

How Much Does Federal Criminal Defense Cost in Anchorage?

People google this all the time, “how much does a lawyer charge for a federal case?” There is no one price. A simple one-defendant indictment under 21 U.S.C. §846 conspiracy might look simple – but these cases rarely stay simple. Multi-defendant RICO charges expand over years. White collar fraud under 18 U.S.C. §1349 can require thousands of pages of discovery, forensic review, experts. That’s months of work. That’s why nationwide firms like ours exist. We’ve had cases where the fees looked high, but the result saved a client’s life. What’s more expensive – years of your life in federal custody, or the cost of actual talent fighting for you? That’s not even a real question.

Look, we’ll be transparent with you. We don’t nickel and dime. We lay out exactly what defense costs, and we keep ongoing communication. No surprises. You’re buying experience, relationships, federal courtroom skill, and outcomes. We’ve defended billion-dollar fraud cases, we’ve handled drug kingpin indictments, and yes – Todd Spodek’s defense of Anna Delvey became a Netflix series. That wasn’t “luck,” it was methodical strategy against a system wired for conviction.

The Spodek Way: Discipline and Creativity

Spodek Law Group isn’t just another Anchorage firm dabbling in federal matters. We are defined as a nationwide powerhouse because we have a system that works. We use disciplined preparation at every level – from grand jury representation letters to aggressively challenging guideline calculations. But we also never stay locked inside the box of “what’s normal.” We get creative. We’ve neutralized federal cases in their infancy with sealed motion practice, we’ve used flaws in search warrants to suppress DEA evidence. We’ve re-negotiated statutory interpretations that trimmed years off sentences. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. And judges, prosecutors, and clients all see it.

What keeps us different is courage. Most lawyers are afraid to push prosecutors. They fear losing cooperation, they think conflict hurts their reputation. We don’t care about their feelings. We care about your freedom. That’s why our loyalty is absolute to the client, never to the government, not even to “keeping it friendly.” We go to war when we have to. That’s how freedom is saved.

Federal Cases in Anchorage We Handle

Some of the main categories we defend:

• Drug conspiracies (21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846)
• Wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud (18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1341, 1344)
• Firearms offenses, including 18 U.S.C. §922(g) felon in possession charges
• RICO and racketeering (18 U.S.C. §1962), including violent enterprise cases
• Money laundering (18 U.S.C. §1956 and §1957)
• Tax fraud and financial crimes investigated by IRS-CI
• ATF-related gun trafficking and explosives prosecutions
• Health care fraud, including federal Medicaid system prosecutions

Every one of these charges carries federal sentencing guidelines. That means a judge plugs in numbers – offense levels, criminal history, enhancements – into a formula that spits out ranges like “210 to 262 months.” Think about that. Your life – reduced to a math chart. That’s why you need a rock star team who knows how to fight those calculations tooth and nail.

Protect Your Future Now

If you’ve been indicted in Anchorage, or even if you suspect that your name came up in a federal grand jury investigation – don’t wait. Every day you hesitate is another day prosecutors build out their narrative unopposed. Federal cases don’t move slowly forever, they suddenly accelerate after indictment. And by the time you get arraigned, discovery stacks up and your options narrow.

Spodek Law Group has over 50 years of combined experience fighting these exact battles. We’ve defended high-profile fraud, RICO, conspiracy, and major narcotics matters nationwide. Anchorage isn’t new territory for us, but trust me, we know the particular judges, the prosecutors, even probation officers who make this district unique. When we step into a courtroom here, we already understand how to maneuver.

I’ll say this last part clearly. Don’t gamble with a local lawyer who just “handles” cases. Handling isn’t the same as winning. What you need is precision, aggression, and dedication. Hire us, and you’ll know we stand between you and the government’s weight. Hire a law firm that gets it. Hire Spodek Law Group.

Call us today for a confidential consultation. No obligation, no nonsense. Just facts and solutions. And from that moment forward – you’ll know you have people in your corner who never fold.