If you're on our website, it's because you're scared, you're worried, and you need help now. You're here because federal agents knocked on your door, or because you already saw your name on an indictment in the Eastern District of Michigan. This isn’t small potatoes. This is your life, your future, your freedom on the line. At Spodek Law Group, we’re blunt about it — federal court doesn’t forgive mistakes. If you’re convicted, you can lose decades of your life. That’s why we exist — to fight the United States government, head on, when it decides to come after you.

The Reality of Federal Charges in Detroit

Here’s what you need to understand: being charged in Detroit federal court means you are not in state land anymore. You’re up against the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. That’s their turf. They’re backed by the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigations, sometimes Homeland Security Investigations too. These agencies don’t go light. They do long investigations, they wiretap, they subpoena banks, they flip witnesses. And when they file an indictment under statutes like 21 U.S.C. §841 for narcotics, or 18 U.S.C. §1343 for wire fraud, or 18 U.S.C. §922(g) for gun possession — they mean business. The feds love charging 18 U.S.C. §371 conspiracy counts too, to rope everyone into one massive case. Once you’re inside this system, getting out is brutal. Very brutal.

Conviction rates hover over 90%. It isn’t because everyone is guilty. It’s because trials are dangerous. If you lose trial, the sentencing guidelines go sky high. That’s the reality here in Detroit — the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse downtown is where lives are dismantled every week. Thirty years for a cocaine conspiracy. Fifteen years mandatory for an armed career criminal with priors. Ten years flat if the DEA proves more than 5 kilos. This isn’t TV drama, this is happening on Fort Street, every single month.

And yeah, you’ve probably heard about Todd Spodek from Netflix, from the Anna Delvey case. That was about fraud, about deception, about high stakes. Different court, different city, same stakes. Todd knows what happens when prosecutors paint a story to make you look like the villain, and when the press piles on. Detroit cases don’t always have cameras, but the fallout is just as destructive — sometimes worse, because nobody’s watching when you get carted off to a federal pen for 25 years.

Federal Court vs Michigan State Court in Detroit

People think court is court. Not even close. If you’re charged in Wayne County, you’re going to state court. Those judges see DUIs, assaults, small drug cases, daily. In federal court, in Detroit, your case is run under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, evidentiary rules that squeeze defendants. Judges — appointed for life — like Judge Sean Cox, Judge Mark Goldsmith, Judge Denise Page Hood — they don’t play politics the same way state judges sometimes do. A sentencing at 231 W. Fort St. downtown isn’t guesswork — it’s calculated, with offense levels, criminal history, enhancements all being stacked.

Even if you’ve read about Michigan Supreme Court reshaping state sentencing, forget it. Those rulings don’t matter in federal land. Doesn’t apply. What matters here are enhancements: firearm involvement under §2D1.1(b)(1), leadership roles under §3B1.1, obstruction if the judge thinks you lied, mandatory minimums when certain quantities are proven. We’ve seen Detroit residents — normal people, not kingpins — walk into court thinking they could plead and get probation like state court, and they walked out chained, sentenced to 12 years. Same city, but two totally separate universes of justice.

Common Federal Charges in Detroit

• Drug Conspiracies – The DEA and FBI love charging 21 U.S.C. §846 conspiracies. Doesn’t matter if you were the main supplier or just a driver, conspiracy law ropes everyone in. Detroit has seen multi-kilo heroin and fentanyl cases where one guy, just making introductions, caught 20 years. A case in 2023 — defendant sentenced to 30 years — Judge cited “drug scourge” in Detroit as reasoning.
• Firearms Offenses – 18 U.S.C. §924(c) is deadly. Use, carry, or discharge a gun in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking, you’re looking at mandatory years stacked on top, no parole. We know Detroit cases where a robbery with a pistol shot added another decade instantly. ATF prosecutes felon-in-possession cases daily here under 922(g).
• Fraud & White Collar – Wire fraud (§1343), bank fraud (§1344), mail fraud (§1341), conspiracy to defraud the U.S., PPP fraud. These are Detroit cases too — the Eastern District has indicted business owners, entrepreneurs, even healthcare providers. Don’t think it’s “nonviolent” so it’s light — judges here hand out 7, 8, 10 years for fraud regularly. Todd’s history with Anna Delvey, national profile, shows we’ve done this work at the highest level.
• Immigration Crimes – ICE/HSI regularly coordinates sweeps here, especially in Dearborn, Hamtramck, Detroit proper. §1326 (illegal re-entry) cases are pushed hard. Green card holders can face criminal removal if they get swept into a conspiracy. It happens behind the scenes, but consequences are permanent.
• Tax & Financial Crimes – IRS-CI prosecutes in Detroit under 26 U.S.C. §7201 (tax evasion), §7206 (false returns). Don’t underestimate these cases, they come prepared with over five years of financial records, bank statements, ledgers. And juries in federal court are skeptical when they see money trails.

Why Federal Prosecution Is So Dangerous

I’ll be straight with you — federal is another planet. Local cops might not pull all the evidence, but federal task forces do. An FBI agent with a search warrant takes EVERYTHING — phones, computers, safes, paperwork. The DEA pulls up with 10 agents armed, shuts down your house, then takes you in before a magistrate judge. The IRS has forensic accountants. ATF has ballistics labs. Homeland Security has immigration records. It’s not one detective, it’s an army. Once you’re indicted in Detroit federal court, the pressure is suffocating. That’s why 9 out of 10 plead out. It’s not because they’re all guilty, it’s because the sentencing guidelines create impossible risks. A jury trial loss means decades. Period.

Look, some lawyers tell you to “see what happens.” That’s suicide in federal cases. In Michigan state court maybe you get probation. Not here. Federal time has no parole. If you get 20 years, you’re doing decades. This is why you need to hire a law firm that actually gets it — we anticipate guideline enhancements, we challenge evidence under suppression motions, we negotiate with AUSAs before indictment if possible. This is not “wing it” territory.

FAQs Detroit Clients Ask

How much does a Detroit federal defense lawyer cost?

No one-size answer. Every case is different. Some take 60 hours of work, others take 500 hours plus experts. You might pay $15,000, or $75,000, or yes — six figures for complex multi-defendant trials. We’re transparent about it, and we structure fees based on reality of your case. Federal court is not cheap, but neither is 20 years in prison.

Should I get a lawyer if I got a target letter?

Yes. Immediately. A target letter is the U.S. Attorney warning you they intend to indict you. That means grand jury has already been convened. You don’t wait. You bring us in so we can sometimes intervene — we’ve gotten prosecutors to soften charges or even close out investigations before formal indictment. Without a lawyer, the U.S. owns you.

Are Michigan state criminal cases cheaper than federal?

Almost always. A DUI in Wayne County might cost you $3,000 to $10,000 for a capable attorney. That is NOTHING compared to a 10 kilogram cocaine conspiracy in Eastern District of Michigan, which could take half a year of litigation. Federal attorneys don’t just “show up in court,” they file motions, challenge grand jury subpoenas, fight guideline issues.

Who prosecutes Detroit federal crimes?

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, headquartered in downtown Detroit. Supported by FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI, and sometimes Homeland Security Investigations. Cases are heard before federal magistrates at arraignment, and Article III judges at trial or sentencing. Most of the time you’ll end up at the Theodore Levin Courthouse.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group

Because we have what other firms don’t. We’ve done this in New York, in California, in Michigan, nationwide. Over 50 years of combined experience — my rock star team of former prosecutors, trial lawyers, investigators. We don’t roll over. We fight. We've handled cases that other lawyers ran away from — look, the point is we win, and when we can’t outright win, we cut decade-long sentences down to survivable outcomes. We like handling the “unwinnable” ones — that’s where we shine.

And yes, Todd handled the Anna Delvey case in New York. The stakes there were media mayhem, global coverage. Here in Detroit, we give you the same attention, same intensity. Fraud. Conspiracies. Racketeering indictments. We know the playbook AUSAs run on these cases — because we’ve spent years dismantling it.

If You’re Under Federal Investigation in Detroit

Here’s how it really plays out. One morning, IRS agents knock on your door about “tax questions.” Or Homeland Security agents say they just want to chat. Or you get a grand jury subpoena for records. These aren’t friendly chats. This is the prelude. This is the trap. If you say one careless thing, they’ll use it later under 18 U.S.C. §1001 (false statements). Do not talk. Do not meet without your lawyer. We’ve seen Detroit clients save themselves by calling us at the first whiff of investigation. We’ve seen others destroy cases by talking without counsel. The difference between a phone call to us today and a 5 year plea tomorrow is massive.

Building Defense Early

Some lawyers react too late. We build early. We do reverse proffers, meet prosecutors, present mitigation packets. We pull experts. We prepare for sentencing before the indictment even hits. Federal judges in Detroit do listen when you come prepared with mitigation — documented community ties, co-operation possibilities, medical conditions. Without smart defense, you’re just a number on a docket sheet. With us, you’re a fighter with a chance.

Call Spodek Law Group Today

If you’re charged with a federal crime in Detroit, this isn’t an ordinary fight. You’re fighting United States of America. You’re fighting statutes with mandatory minimums, agencies with unlimited budgets, prosecutors who see careers built on locking you up. Our firm exists to level that field.

We owe loyalty only to you. Not to the court, not to the prosecutors, not to anyone else. We’re aggressive, discreet, calculated. We know the Theodore Levin Courthouse inside and out. And we will fight every inch of the way. Call us today for a confidential consultation with a Detroit federal trial lawyer who’s ready to go toe-to-toe with the government. Don’t wait another day — the earlier we get in, the stronger your defense will be.

Spodek Law Group. We fight federal cases the way they need to be fought. No excuses. Just results.