If you're on our website, it's because you're staring down real federal charges – and need a law firm that actually gets it. At Spodek Law Group, we’re not here to sugarcoat anything. When the FBI, DEA, IRS, or ATF shows up, when the U.S. Attorney’s Office puts your name on an indictment sheet – you’re in a fight that could decide the rest of your life. These aren’t little misdemeanors with probation or a slap on the wrist. Federal cases mean federal statutes – Title 18, Title 21, Title 26 – laws with teeth, laws that are written to trap you in mandatory minimums and stacked sentencing enhancements. We’ve seen indictments under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy), 21 U.S.C. § 841 (drug trafficking), 26 U.S.C. § 7201 (tax evasion). The list is endless. Every statute comes with guidelines, enhancements, and prosecutors who know how to use them against you.

In 2022, Netflix aired a series about one of my clients, Anna Delvey. The whole country was watching. It taught one lesson: some cases don’t just live in the courtroom, they play out in the media, they’re judged by living rooms across the country, they attract federal-level scrutiny even when it feels unfair. And here’s the truth – when you're targeted in a case like that, you need lawyers who owe loyalty only to you, not the press, not the prosecutors, not even a judge’s approval. That’s the Spodek difference.

Federal vs State Crimes in Delaware

Federal crimes in Delaware all go through the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The courthouse is right in Wilmington, and every single federal case in this state ends up in those courtrooms. Compare that with state-level crimes handled by the Delaware DOJ, county prosecutors, and local judges in Dover, Kent, or New Castle. State crimes are smaller in scope, but once a crime touches interstate commerce – emails, money transfers, wires, or controlled substances crossing borders – federal jurisdiction takes over automatically. That’s why what seems like a “Delaware fraud investigation” suddenly turns into a federal prosecution under statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud) or 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (money laundering). One minute you’re dealing with a local consumer protection unit, the next, you’ve got federal agents executing search warrants at 6AM. It happens faster here than most places, because Delaware is small, and interstate commerce flows right through it.

We’ve seen it over and over. Local probe opens. The CPU starts sniffing around on a consumer fraud issue. Then they find a wire transfer or interstate securities trade, and boom – suddenly the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wilmington is calling. You don’t get advance notice, you get escalation. And with escalation come harsher penalties, federal guidelines, and sentencing enhancements that can stack years onto your exposure. Look, the odds are stacked against defendants, and waiting around will kill your case before it even starts.

Delaware Federal Court System: Why It’s Different

The U.S. District Court in Wilmington doesn’t operate like your local Delaware courthouse. Federal judges aren’t elected, they’re appointed for life. That means they don’t care about local politics, they care about rules, structure, sentencing guidelines. Federal sentencing guidelines are brutal, and if you don’t know how enhancements on things like “sophisticated means” or “use of a computer” will add years, you’ll be blindsided at sentencing. According to 2023 statistics, about 70% of federal defendants across the country—the same pattern applies in Delaware—end up with prison sentences, not probation, not house arrest, but prison. There’s no parole in the federal system either, only limited “good time credit.”

Trials feel different here. The discovery process is rigid, you can’t just walk into chambers and beg for a delay, you’re bound to formal schedules. And I’ll be straight with you, the federal government doesn’t file cases until their ducks are in a row. By the time you see an indictment, the FBI or DEA has been running wire taps, pulling financial records, gathering cooperator testimony—sometimes for 6 months, sometimes for years. They don’t bring weak cases. You need a lawyer who knows the inside track at Wilmington federal court and who actually understands what the U.S. Attorneys in Delaware care about.

Types of Federal Criminal Cases in Delaware

• Drug Conspiracies: Prosecutors love hitting defendants under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846. We've defended clients accused of running heroin and fentanyl pipelines along I-95. These aren’t “one brick in the trunk” charges, these are 10-to-life conspiracies, enhanced by firearm charges under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). You think it’s small – they treat it like a cartel prosecution.
• White Collar Crime: Bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), securities fraud (15 U.S.C. §§ 78j, 78ff). These are Delaware bread and butter, because so many corporations are incorporated here. What starts as a civil dispute quickly escalates into an indictment when federal agencies see “material misstatements.”
• Tax Evasion & IRS Cases: Delaware professionals and executives can find themselves targeted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Prosecutions under 26 U.S.C. § 7201 (tax evasion) and § 7206 (fraud) are serious – felony level, five years per count.
• RICO & Conspiracy: The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968) lets the feds pile on multiple related charges. It’s one of their favorite tools in Wilmington federal court, because suddenly each “predicate act” becomes part of a larger “enterprise,” multiplying sentencing exposure instantly.
• High Profile Prosecutions: We all remember stories like the Capano case. The lesson? When Delaware prosecutors lock onto something, it gains federal attention almost overnight. They’re aggressive, coordinated, and they don’t stop until they get conviction.

Every single one of these involves multiple agencies: FBI kicking down doors, DEA running undercover buys, IRS analyzing bank records, ATF chasing down weapons ties. Sometimes Homeland Security Investigations jumps in if the allegations touch customs, trafficking, or visas. More agencies = more paper, more evidence dumps, and more chances for them to overwhelm you—unless your lawyer tears it all apart piece by piece.

Delaware Enforcement Patterns You Should Know

Delaware is not New York. This is a one-courthouse federal district. That means state and federal law enforcement know each other personally, they call each other directly, they share task forces. If Dover PD sees an interstate drug supply, they're on the phone with DEA by sunset. If Wilmington detects fraud involving cross-border wires, FBI is looped in immediately. No distance, no delays, no disconnect. Coordination here is tighter than almost anywhere else. So if you think you have time to "wait it out," you don’t. They’re building a case against you before you’ve even learned you're a possible target.

And that’s why preemptive legal defense matters so much. We don’t just show up after you’re indicted. We intervene the moment you learn you’re under investigation. We’ve met with prosecutors, negotiated with U.S. Attorneys in Wilmington, pushed back early, sometimes resolved cases without charges ever being filed. We've handled cases that should have been life sentences, but—look, the point is we win. That’s why people call us.

Questions We Hear From Clients in Delaware

How much do lawyers charge for federal criminal defense?

This isn’t like hiring someone to fight a speeding ticket. Federal cases take months, sometimes years, they require discovery review measured in terabytes, expert witnesses, forensic accountants, suppression hearings. Fees reflect that reality. I won’t lie to you, it’s an investment, but it’s an investment in your literal freedom. We offer structures that can help, but it’s not the the same as a $5,000 DUI defense, not even close.

Do I really need a lawyer for a federal indictment?

Yes, and the answer is not up for debate. Federal conviction rates hover above 90% when defendants go in without aggressive representation. Once you’re convicted, you’re serving almost every single day of that sentence—there’s no state-style parole where you leave after half. You do the time. So if you’re wondering whether you need a lawyer, you already do.

How do I choose the best Delaware federal defense attorney?

Simple: you choose lawyers who have actually fought in Wilmington federal court. Not just TV ads, not just “criminal defense” claims, but trial experience, sentencing memo experience, back-and-forth with federal prosecutors experience. Many criminal lawyers in Delaware never step foot in the federal courthouse—that's dangerous. You need 50+ years of combined litigation on your side, not rookies learning on your case.

Can I represent myself in U.S. District Court?

Technically yes, legally speaking. But practically? It's suicide. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, local Delaware federal rules—they’re all traps unless you’ve trained inside this system. Even seasoned lawyers need constant updates and hands-on experience just to stay competent, imagine walking into trial alone. Don’t even consider it.

How We Build a Delaware Federal Criminal Defense

We don’t “wing it.” Our defense strategy is structured around attacking everything. We file suppression motions that knock out government evidence, whether it’s challenging a bad wiretap (Title III issues), a defective search warrant, or an indictment drafted sloppily. We file motions in limine to block prejudicial evidence. We prep our own expert witnesses to counter the government’s so-called “experts.” Jury selection is strategic—Delaware federal jurors are often corporate employees, government workers, professionals. Very different from state court jurors. Our job is to speak their language, undercut the prosecution’s framing, and remind them of reasonable doubt. And once it comes to sentencing, we use every tool—downward departures, mitigating factors, Booker variances—to reduce exposure under the guidelines. We fight tooth and nail for every inch.

We’ve had clients accused of wire fraud, mail fraud, major narcotics trafficking, tax evasion—and we’ve managed to get outcomes others thought were impossible. That’s experience. That’s what we bring into your corner every time.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group in Delaware

Because we know Delaware, and we know the federal system nationwide. This district is unique, but we blend our national reputation – features in cases like the Anna Delvey matter, cases that drew media attention across the globe – with local insight. We know how the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wilmington strategizes, how they apply pressure, and where they’re vulnerable. And we’re not afraid to push back, hard. Our team is a rock star team, with over 50 years combined trial experience, and we handle the cases most lawyers say “can’t be won.” More important: we owe loyalty only to YOU. When we walk into that courthouse, it’s not about pleasing anyone except the client sitting across from us.

And here’s my personal view: If your life, freedom, and family are on the line, don’t gamble on cheap, inexperienced defense. We’ve been there before – high stakes, national media watching, prosecutors frothing at the mouth – and we’ve won. That’s what we deliver.

Protect Your Freedom Right Now

Federal charges in Delaware aren’t academic, they aren’t theoretical. They are coming for your life. They’re coming for your family’s stability. Don’t sit back and hope things get better, because in federal practice, things only move one direction without strong intervention—downhill. Call Spodek Law Group today. We're available 24/7 for confidential consultations. Talk to attorneys who know the Wilmington federal courthouse inside and out, who can anticipate prosecutorial tactics, and who can build a defense that protects what matters. Your freedom. Your future.

Your life is worth fighting for. And that's exactly what we do, every single day, for clients just like you.