If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you already know you can't just roll the dice with some random attorney who hangs a shingle. At Spodek Law Group – we understand what's at risk, and we know federal criminal cases are totally different than what most lawyers are used to handling. The prosecutors don't play games, they use statutes with mandatory minimums, they use conspiracy laws that stretch decades back, they use the Sentencing Guidelines like a hammer – and they’ve got unmatched resources through federal agencies like the FBI, DEA, IRS, and ATF. You're not going up against one prosecutor. You're up against the entire U.S. government. And that's why you need us. You need to hire a law firm that gets it.

The Reality of Facing Federal Charges in Illinois

I’ll be straight with you. Nobody gets named in a federal indictment by accident. If you’re federally indicted, that means there’s been investigation – wiretaps, cooperating witnesses, subpoenas, months or years of evidence collection. Under statutes like 21 U.S.C. § 841 (drug distribution) or 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), prosecutors craft cases that they know will stick. And when they bring charges, it’s because they’ve already lined up the chessboard against you.

According to 2024 statistics across the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois, the average federal sentence is measured in decades. Not years. Decades. That’s the reality. And don’t fool yourself into thinking small-town Illinois exempts you—look at Bismarck last year, when Jacob R. Kirkley was sentenced in May 2025 to four years in federal prison for counterfeiting. That’s counterfeit dollars in a tiny town, and the feds still made an example out of him. Federal court doesn’t care about geography, they care about making examples, period.

We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. But we don't pretend it’s easy. The numbers don’t lie: federal sentencing guidelines in Illinois are brutal, and the government has every advantage unless you have someone who’s lived and breathed these battles for decades.

Federal vs State Charges in Illinois: Why the Distinction Matters

I hear clients say this all the time: "This could've been a state case." Maybe it could have. But here’s the thing – once it’s in federal court, the rules change. Federal jurisdiction covers interstate drug conspiracies, electronic communication based fraud, firearm trafficking under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), currency crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 472, even racketeering under RICO statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1962. The kinds of charges that get stacked federally are the ones that multiply exposure and prison terms. And that’s where the danger lies.

In Cook County, you might face probation for a drug possession. In Northern District of Illinois federal court, that same case could turn into a conspiracy indictment carrying a 10-year mandatory minimum just by linking you to one other co-defendant. State prosecutors can’t match the resources – the DEA, FBI and IRS working in tandem simply overwhelm any defense unless you’ve got a defense firm that knows the playbook.

The Illinois Federal Courts

Every federal criminal case in Illinois will land in one of three districts. Each has its own personality, its own prosecutors, and its own sentencing culture:

• Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) – The busiest. Complex frauds, guns, RICO, massive drug sweeps. Multi-defendant indictments are routine here. If your case is in Chicago, you’re likely up against agents from the FBI or IRS Criminal Investigation division alongside aggressive assistant U.S. Attorneys.
• Central District of Illinois (Springfield, Peoria, Urbana) – We see firearm offenses, conspiracy, and drug runs through rural routes. The government’s footprint here is deceptively strong, DOJ aligns with ATF and DEA for sweeping indictments.
• Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis, Benton) – Rural drug networks, methamphetamine distribution, and gun trafficking cases dominate this docket. Sentences here are some of the harshest in the state.

We know the judges, we know which motions they’ll entertain, and we know how each U.S. Attorney’s office thinks. The experience we bring isn’t from a textbook, it’s from decades in these exact courtrooms.

Enforcement Patterns: What Prosecutors Are Targeting Now

Federal prosecutors have agendas. In Chicago just recently, 20+ defendants tied to an alleged gang leader were indicted under RICO statutes. That’s how they flex. They hold press conferences flanked by CPD and FBI brass, cameras rolling, making very clear they’re focusing on organized crime. But that’s only one piece.

We’re also seeing a marked uptick in white-collar prosecutions. Wire fraud, counterfeiting, tax evasion, PPP loan fraud, cryptocurrency related indictments. After Todd Spodek defended Anna Delvey – the case everyone watched on Netflix – it magnified how reputational these cases can become. Prosecutors chase high profile fraud because it makes careers for them. And the scary part? Even small players get roped into the indictment and suddenly they’re facing 20, 30, 50 years because conspiracy law ties them to the “loss amounts” of everyone else.

Federal Statutes You Need to Understand

We defend clients across almost every statute in Title 18 and Title 21 of the U.S. Code. For example:

• 21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846 – Drug trafficking and conspiracy. Huge sentences, mandatory minimums, all hinging on drug weight.
• 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) – Felon in possession of firearm. A single gun can mean 10 years.
• 18 U.S.C. § 1343 – Wire fraud. Every email, every text can be another count.
• 18 U.S.C. § 1956 – Money laundering. Used constantly in financial crime indictments.

These aren’t state misdemeanors. These are life-altering felonies in federal court, with guidelines calculated on charts you’ve probably never seen, where one extra signature or a few dollars in “intended loss” could add 3, 5, 10 more years to a sentence. That’s the nightmare – and that’s what we dismantle when we fight.

White Collar, Drug, and Gun Cases in Illinois Federal Court

White Collar

Counterfeiting, PPP fraud, embezzlement – these are priority cases in Illinois federal courts. Judges in Chicago routinely hand down prison terms for first-time offenders, and repeat offenders or conspiracy participants get crushed. The the Bismarck case proves exactly this: four years federal time over counterfeit notes. No probation, no local slap on the wrist, real time.

Drug and Gun Charges

One traffic stop in Chicago or along I-55 can morph into a federal indictment tied into a DEA wiretap. Once the ATF adds firearm counts to a drug prosecution, mandatory minimums activate. We’ve seen clients facing what seemed like small cases hit with decades—because a prosecutor added drug weight conversions, a conspiracy enhancement, and stacked firearm charges. In central and southern Illinois, methamphetamine conspiracy is king; network indictments in Springfield or Benton often sweep up dozens of low-level actors and dump them into cases with 20+ year exposure.

Common Client Questions

How much do federal lawyers charge?

We get this asked constantly. Federal work is more. More hearings, more experts, more discovery. Sometimes we work flat fees for clarity, sometimes hourly when indictments are sprawling beyond imagination. You're not buying a traffic ticket lawyer here – you're investing in your future and possibly shaving decades off your sentence. That’s reality.

Should I get a lawyer for a federal case?

Yes, and I can’t say it enough. Walking into federal court alone is suicide. Federal prosecutors come with the FBI, DEA, IRS backing them. Mandatory prison risk is baked into almost every statute. Don’t step in thinking you’ll “explain it to the judge.” That’s how lives get ruined.

How much does a criminal lawyer cost in Illinois?

Different worlds. A state misdemeanor maybe costs a few thousand. Federal conspiracy cases demand substantial resources, investigations, and strategy. We’re transparent with fees, because you need to factor this in from day one, but don’t compare—state vs. federal is apples to oranges.

What is a federal lawyer called?

We’re federal criminal defense attorneys. We’re admitted in Illinois districts, but we also practice nationwide. If your investigation started in Chicago and stretched across Missouri or Indiana, we travel with you. That’s part of the value – seamless representation across state lines.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group

Here’s why we’re different. Anyone can say they’re aggressive. Anyone can say they fight. We actually do. We have:

• Multi-jurisdictional experience – We’ve argued in Chicago, Peoria, Springfield, Benton, East St. Louis. And we’ve handled federal criminal cases nationwide. We’re not strangers in any federal courtroom.
• High-profile case experience – The Anna Delvey case is proof. Netflix dramatized it, Todd Spodek defended it. We don’t back down from pressure, cameras, or complexity.
• Relentless advocacy – We file motions. We attack evidence. We chip away at sentencing enhancements. We negotiate when it’s smart, and we fight at trial when it’s right. Appeals, post-conviction relief, we know the entire spectrum.

We’ve got a rock star team with over 50 years of combined experience. And we’re loyal only to you. Not the judge, not the prosecutor, not the media. Just to you. That’s what matters, and that’s why our clients trust us when their future is literally on the line.

Protect Yourself Now

If you or your loved one are facing federal charges in Illinois, the worst mistake you can make is waiting. Every minute, the government continues gathering evidence. Every delay puts you steps behind the prosecutors. You're gambling with possibly 50+ years of your life. Don’t do that, not alone.

We serve clients in the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois – and beyond. With Spodek Law Group you get national credibility and local insight. Federal cases demand a law firm that gets it. Call us now, because tomorrow might be too late.