If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and need the best legal team in your corner. At Spodek Law Group, we understand the gravity of what you're up against. Federal charges in Colorado aren't just "tough" – they are life altering. We're talking prison sentences that can stretch into decades, fines that crush families, asset forfeitures, and scars on your reputation that never really fade. Our job is simple: protect you, fight tooth and nail for you, and never let the government get away with overreach. Spodek Law Group owes loyalty to only YOU – nobody else, and we mean that.

The Stakes of a Federal Charge in Colorado

Let’s be 100% clear – federal charges aren’t like state cases. Once you’re indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, usually down at the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse in Denver, the odds are already stacked. The feds rarely bring cases unless they think they’ve already won. By the time the FBI, DEA, IRS, Homeland Security, or ATF knocks on your door, they’ve been sitting on surveillance reports, bank records, text messages, subpoenas, and undercover informants. Sometimes for years. Cases like United States v. Mark David Ray, and United States v. Brian Kaplan prove it – indictments flip into guilty pleas almost overnight because the government has already gathered 90% of what they need before you’re even aware. One day you think it’s just “an investigation,” the next day you’re a defendant with your entire life on the line in federal court.

Look, I'll be straight with you — if you’re under investigation in Colorado, you don’t have days to waste. You need an attorney that understands the playbook federal prosecutors use, which is very different from what you see in county courts. Proactive defense here isn’t optional, it’s survival mode.

Understanding Federal vs. State Charges in Colorado

You don’t get to decide whether something is prosecuted in state court or federal court. Sometimes the exact same conduct could be charged in either. But once the U.S. Attorney’s Office decides to take the file, everything changes. Colorado state charges are typically handled in county or district courthouses across Weld, Arapahoe, Adams, or Denver County. But federal charges? Those are consolidated into the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado – it’s one courthouse serving the entire state. And that courthouse runs on its own very strict procedures, schedules, and rules. Federal prosecutors backed by FBI agents, DEA task forces, IRS financial crime units, and ATF firearms teams have massive resources. They can subpoena your bank before you even know you’re a target, they can comb through years of phone records without blinking. Their conviction rates are above 90% because their caseloads are carefully selected, not because defendants are guilty in every case. State prosecutors, even hardworking ones, often have too many files to manage. Federal prosecutors? They might spend 18 months quietly investigating just YOU.

That’s why you have to hire a law firm that gets it. State court experience alone doesn’t cut it – federal litigation requires mastery over the Federal Rules of Evidence, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Title 18 of the United States Code, and knowing the local, unwritten rules of how Denver federal judges expect things to run. If your lawyer isn’t familiar with statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 21 U.S.C. § 841 (drug distribution), or 18 U.S.C. § 922 (firearms), you’re rolling dice with your life.

Recent Federal Enforcement Trends in Colorado

Colorado has quietly become a hot zone. In 2023 the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced charges against 30 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. That wasn’t just a “gang case.” It was a sweeping indictment using conspiracy statutes, RICO enhancements, and gun laws. Same courthouse, same prosecutors are also hammering PPP loan fraud and securities crime cases in downtown Denver. I’ve seen indictments where small business owners got charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1344 for bank fraud, and the government was prepared to put them in federal prison with violent offenders for years. Fraud gets treated with the same intensity as meth trafficking. The pattern is obvious: organized crime groups, immigration conspiracies, gun trafficking networks, financial frauds tied to COVID relief, and cyber crimes – those are all at the top of the Colorado federal priority list right now.

And don’t assume you’re too small for the feds. They’ll investigate over $50,000 in PPP loans just as hard as they investigate ten kilos of cocaine moved across I-70. Both can draw the same agencies, the same judges, the same brutal sentences.

Common Federal Charges in Colorado

• White-Collar Crimes: 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud), securities violations under SEC Act charges, PPP loan fraud. Example: Mark David Ray pled guilty in Denver for wire and bank fraud conspiracy.
• Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy: Federal drug statutes like 21 U.S.C. § 841 and § 846 don’t mess around. Even small alleged roles in a conspiracy can net 10+ years mandatory minimum.
• Organized Crime & RICO: Racketeering under 18 U.S.C. § 1962, conspiracy charges, firearm statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) attached. The Tren de Aragua case highlighted how groups don’t get charged individually but as entire organizations.
• Public Corruption & Immigration Violations: Bribery cases, immigration fraud cases under 8 U.S.C. § 1324, document fraud charges. Not flashy headlines but quietly devastating for those accused.

People Also Ask: Answering Your Concerns

How much do federal lawyers charge in Colorado?

There’s no “flat” number. Federal cases are beasts – pages and pages of discovery, sealed filings, grand jury transcripts. Fees reflect both the complexity and the urgency. What should matter to you isn’t shaving dollars, it’s whether your lawyer is on a first-name basis with the Denver federal prosecutors, whether they’ve argued sentencing guidelines adjustments in front of Judge R. Brooke Jackson or Judge Raymond Moore. That’s the real difference-maker.

Do I really need a lawyer for a federal case?

Yes. And I mean it. Federal prosecutors are seasoned professionals, often career lifers. They aren’t juggling speed tickets, they’re bringing complex financial cases, cross-state drug conspiracies, massive databases of text message evidence. Walking into the Alfred A. Arraj courthouse without defense counsel is suicide. You need someone sitting next to you who actually knows federal statutes, who understands pre-indictment negotiations, who will argue aggressively at detention hearings when prosecutors want you locked up without bail.

How much does a criminal lawyer cost in Colorado generally?

Honestly, yes, state defense can seem “cheaper.” But you’re not in county court on a DUI. Federal charges bring mandatory minimums, guideline calculations with enhancements for role, loss amount, conspiracy scope. That difference is why comparing fees is almost irrelevant. You should be asking if your lawyer has argued a federal motion to suppress intercepted wire taps in Colorado, not whether his hourly is $50 less than the next guy.

What is a federal lawyer called?

We’re simply called federal criminal defense attorneys, licensed to appear before the U.S. District Court. Not every Colorado lawyer takes federal cases, and many aren’t even admitted to the federal bar. That distinction alone matters – because if your lawyer isn’t admitted in federal court in Colorado, they can’t step foot in front of the judge when your arraignment hits.

Why Colorado Federal Cases Are Unique

Every federal district has its quirks. Colorado is no different. Sentences here are often guideline-heavy. Judges vary – some adhere very closely to the guidelines, some exercise discretion but only if defense counsel lays down strong mitigation. Denver’s federal prosecutors have been doubling up—simultaneously pursuing complex bank fraud while running multi-jurisdictional gang indictments. The aggressiveness of the Colorado office has been publicized across the country. They bring superseding indictments fast, they pile on conspiracy counts, they use asset forfeiture aggressively. Defending in Colorado is about more than law. It’s about knowing how these prosecutors try to leverage grand juries, and how these judges tolerate or cut off government overreach.

We’ve handled cases that... look, the point is we win. We know the patterns, and frankly after decades of fighting federal charges, we know when the government is bluffing versus when they’re loading the gun. That instinct, born out of real battles, is one of the most valuable things a lawyer can bring you in Colorado federal court.

Spodek Law Group Credentials & Distinction

The Spodek Law Group isn’t like the the average defense firm. We’re recognized nationally for tackling cases that hit headlines. You might’ve even streamed one: in 2022, Netflix released the miniseries about Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, the so-called Soho Grifter. Todd Spodek – our founder – stood by her side in Manhattan Supreme Court while the world was watching. That wasn’t entertainment for us, that was real life law. That case proved something: prosecutors go all in, and you need a defense team that not only disrupts their narrative but can control the courtroom and sometimes even the court of public opinion.

That’s the same playbook we bring when clients call us from Colorado. Our team isn’t local-only. We’ve got over 50 years of combined experience fighting federal cases across the country. We’ve litigated suppression motions in multiple jurisdictions, cross examined federal agents, and we’ve negotiated plea deals that saved clients literal decades of prison time. Some cases, other lawyers tell us they’re “unwinnable” – we take them, and we find angles, we press weak links, we expose government shortcuts. And we’re blunt about it with our clients because honesty build strategy. That’s why people choose us when it really, really matters.

If you want a law firm that lives and breathes federal defense, that lives inside the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines manual, that isn’t afraid to confront the FBI in court – then you’re in the right place.

Protect Your Future – Call Us Today

The outcome of a federal conviction is catastrophic. We’re talking mandatory minimums, asset forfeiture actions, IRS liens, deportations if you’re not a citizen, six or seven figure fines. And stigma. You’re branded forever. Colorado prosecutors sometimes act like the rules don’t apply to them – but that doesn’t mean we let it stand. The only way you balance that kind of force is by hiring a defense team with equal intensity and sharper strategy. That’s literally what we do. Our loyalty starts and ends with you. Nobody else.

The best time to hire a Colorado federal criminal lawyer was yesterday. The second best is today. Don’t wait until the U.S. Marshals put cuffs on you, don’t wait for a grand jury subpoena, don’t wait for your arraignment. But here’s the truth – even if you’re already at that stage we can still fight. Call us at Spodek Law Group right now for a confidential consultation. We’re available 24/7 because FBI agents don’t follow a 9 to 5 schedule, neither should your lawyer.

Contact Spodek Law Group

Call today. Speak directly with an attorney, not a receptionist. Protect your freedom, your family, your reputation. Don’t gamble with federal prosecutors in Colorado – they have too much power. You deserve the best defense counsel possible. That’s us. We’re here in Colorado and across the U.S., always ready to fight back when you’re facing federal criminal charges.