If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you know you can't afford an average criminal defense attorney. At Spodek Law Group, we don’t sugarcoat. Federal charges are not just “serious”—they are career-ending, family-breaking, life-altering. And the prosecutions are built by the most powerful machine in the country, the United States Government. The FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, Homeland Security—they work together, they share files, they subpoena your bank records, they flip people close to you. We’ve been doing this work long enough to know how brutal that process gets. And we fight back harder. With strategy. With experience. With creativity. With 50+ years of combined experience from a team that has gone to war in federal courtrooms across America.

Look, I’ll be straight with you—dealing with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is not the same as handling a state DUI down in Cook County. It’s just not. These aren’t “one-off” cases. Typically, by the time your name even surfaces, they’ve had wiretaps, controlled buys, informants, grand jury subpoenas, financial audits, months—even years—of investigation. And when the indictment drops, it’s detailed and overwhelming. Hire a law firm that gets it. That’s us.

You may have heard of us already. Todd Spodek represented Anna Sorokin—better known as Anna Delvey—the so-called socialite accused of scamming New York’s elite. Netflix streamed the case into every living room in America. Why mention that here? Because it shows something critical: we don’t choke under the spotlight. We thrive in high-pressure environments where other firms fold. And when federal prosecutors in Chicago put you on the chopping block, you want a team that thrives under pressure.

Federal Criminal Charges in Chicago

What exactly does a federal criminal lawyer do? We defend people against prosecutions brought by the Department of Justice. Not local prosecutors. Not some city-level office. The DOJ files its cases inside the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, smack downtown on Dearborn Street, and that’s where the battles are fought. Every Chicago federal criminal case winds up in that building—whether it’s a gambling ring, an email phishing scheme, healthcare fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1347, or a narcotics conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846.

Federal prosecutions cover everything under the U.S. Code—things like wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), firearms offenses (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)), drug trafficking conspiracies (21 U.S.C. §§ 841 & 846), money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956), and a whole host more. Penalties are massive, sentencing guidelines are harsh, supervised release is practically guaranteed, and the fines can reach millions. It’s on another level.

Just last month, prosecutors in Chicago unsealed an indictment charging multiple individuals with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and meth across the South Side. A few weeks earlier, Judge Wood sentenced Jose Delgado to 14 years and 7 months in federal custody for kidnapping. Cases like this hit home—they illustrate how fast the government can take decades of your life away through a single trial at the Dirksen Courthouse. That’s what we fight against every single day.

Federal vs State Prosecutions

Here’s what really happens: state crimes usually cover local events—maybe a bar fight, a burglary, theft, possession of a few grams. Federal cases, by contrast, almost always involve interstate elements. Bank wires. Email servers. Packages coming from across borders. Conspiracies tying people across multiple counties, states, countries. Federal charges pull in a huge bloc of government energy. Judges have less room for leniency, prosecutors rarely cut sweet deals, and the sentencing guidelines make sure of one thing: your exposure in federal court is enormous compared to Illinois state court.

And unlike state cases—you don’t just suddenly end up in trial. Federal prosecutions start with grand juries. And once that grand jury indicts, it means the DOJ has already previewed all its best evidence. You’ll never see that kind of hidden process in Cook County. Which is precisely why your attorney needs to know when to intervene, when to negotiate, and when to fight hard. We’ve handled cases that ran on for years before indictment, cases with mountains of discovery—look, the point is we win by outworking and outsmarting prosecutors who think their case is airtight.

Federal Agencies You’ll See in Chicago

In Chicago federal criminal cases, it won’t just be the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It’s the alphabet soup of agencies. FBI agents show up for fraud and conspiracy cases. DEA for narcotics. IRS Criminal Investigations for tax fraud and money laundering. ATF for firearms and gangster-related prosecutions. ICE if you’ve got immigration-related allegations drifting into the criminal territory. These agencies carry federal search warrants into your home or office, they subpoena every financial document you own, and they interview people close to you. We’re familiar with every one of them, we know how their cases are built, and we know how to dismantle them piece by piece in court.

Common Chicago Federal Charges We Defend

• Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy: Clients charged under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 & 846 face penalties that depend on weight: 500 grams of cocaine powder? 5 years. 5 kilos? 10 years. Meth conspiracy with prior felony conviction? It ratchets up drastically. DEA Chicago loves these cases.
• RICO & Gang-Related Indictments: The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has used Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes, 18 U.S.C. § 1962 to go after gangs like the Black Disciples. These cases sweep up leaders, soldiers, even associates. Devastating penalties.
• White Collar Crime: Wire fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. § 7201—these are heavy cases, often involving millions in alleged losses. Chicago federal prosecutors love making examples out of professionals. We've defended C-level execs, doctors, finance people.
• Immigration Based Enforcement: ICE raids frequently tie into smuggling prosecutions under federal immigration statutes, especially when charges overlap with false document allegations. Even when the person isn’t the target, they wind up in the jurisdiction of the Northern District.

When Should You Hire Us?

The time to hire a lawyer isn’t when you’re indicted. It’s the second you get wind the feds are on your radar. If agents knock at your door, if a friend whispers that grand jury subpoenas are being handed out, or if your name appears in DOJ press release—it might already be too late to protect yourself. That’s why early intervention is crucial. Every week of delay ruins leverage. Every call answered without counsel ruins opportunity. Don’t wait. We’ve seen good people sit on their hands and end up blindsided with 20, 30-year exposure.

How Much Does A Federal Case Cost?

Honestly? It depends. Some federal fraud indictments take three years to resolve. Some narcotics conspiracies collapse in six months with plea negotiations. Costs vary based on trial prep, discovery volume, whether expert testimony is required. But compare the cost to the alternative. Somebody sentenced for drug conspiracy in November 2024 is now doing 172 months in federal prison. What is your freedom worth stacked against upfront defense fees? You’ll never look back on your life and regret spending money on a strong defense. But you’ll regret stepping into federal court unarmed.

Choosing The Best Federal Criminal Lawyer in Chicago

How do you really pick? It’s not based on a fancy suit or flashy website. You want results in federal courtrooms. You want someone who knows the Dirksen Courthouse judges by name, who’s dealt with AUSAs (Assistant U.S. Attorneys) on hundreds of cases. You want someone who knows when to negotiate a plea and when to bury the government under motions. We’ve gone against the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF in courtroom after courtroom. We’ve defended nationally recognized clients. Todd Spodek in the Netflix case is proof—we know how to manage high exposure situations in hostile courtrooms. We don’t get rattled, we don’t fall apart mid-trial. That’s the difference.

Federal prosecutions are not training wheels cases. Hiring the wrong lawyer—one without real federal trial experience—is like stepping into a 12 round heavyweight fight with a high school boxer. You know the ending already. Don’t let that be your ending.

Why Spodek Law Group?

Spodek Law Group’s reputation? It’s national. Our trial work? Recognized coast to coast. Whether in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago—we handle federal indictments regularly. We go toe-to-toe with U.S. Attorneys who think they’ve got slam dunks. Our approach is aggressive, surgical, and tailored. We don’t take shortcuts. When negotiation is the right move, we negotiate smart. But when trial is necessary—we are absolutely ready to stand in front of a jury and take the government on. We don’t blink. The government can throw unlimited money and manpower at a prosecution. Doesn’t phase us. Because we know how to chip away, how to undercut key witnesses, how to use laws and precedents to shred their narrative.

Our loyalty? Only to you. We don’t care about headlines or politics. We care about protecting your freedom, your reputation, your family. Everything else is noise. Plain and simple.

Start Your Defense Now

If you are under investigation in Chicago, federal prosecutors are already ahead of you. Right now, as you read this, the FBI could be downloading evidence off seized phones, the IRS could be combing bank accounts, the DEA could be writing up confidential informant notes. Don’t wait. Waiting is losing. Call Spodek Law Group today. Confidential consultation. Immediate strategy. Real-world defense experience. We’ve done it for 50+ years combined, we’ve appeared in federal courts from coast to coast, and we’ve stood next to clients during the worst moments of their lives—and walked out with victories everyone else thought were impossible.

Don’t gamble with tomorrow. Tomorrow in federal court can mean a sentencing memorandum recommending 25 years. Let’s change that narrative.

Call us right now. Not next week. Not “after you think about it.” Federal cases don’t stop moving. Neither do we.