If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you’re searching for an Indiana federal criminal lawyer who isn't just dabbling, but who lives and breathes this stuff. At Spodek Law Group, we carry that burden with you. We understand exactly what’s on the line, and we understand how federal prosecutors in Indiana build their cases brick by brick. These cases aren’t about minor penalties – they’re about Title 18 United States Code § 1343 (wire fraud), § 1956 (money laundering), § 841 (distribution of controlled substances), § 922(g) (firearm restrictions), and other statutes that come with brutal guideline ranges under the U.S. Sentencing Commission framework. When the United States Attorney’s Office decides to put its weight behind a case, it’s never small. Never simple. And it never ends quick.

Federal agencies here – FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF – all have coordinated task forces deployed across Indiana. Indianapolis, Evansville, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, South Bend — they’re not just towns, they’re hubs where federal investigative squads run long-term operations. These cases don’t start yesterday. They start months or years ago. Wiretaps under Title III. Surveillance videos. Confidential informants flipping after their own arrests. Search warrants for homes and phones. When they finally unseal that indictment? It’s because they believe they already have you buried in paper. If you walk into that courtroom without a strategy, you’re volunteering for the slaughterhouse.

Federal Courts in Indiana: The Landscape

Indiana has two federal judicial districts – the Northern District of Indiana and the Southern District of Indiana. Each one has multiple divisions and courthouses. The Southern District, with its main courthouse in Indianapolis, also has significant proceedings out of Evansville, New Albany, and Terre Haute. The Northern District is split with courthouses in Hammond, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Lafayette. Each district is assigned its own U.S. Attorney’s Office. Let me make something clear: those prosecutors are career litigators, they’re polished, and they rarely “miss” on their indictments. They come into that courtroom confident because they know they’ve got grand juries, agents, and months of prep behind them. Judges here? They expect full-throttle advocacy — and they’ve heard every excuse you can imagine, so don’t expect them to cut you slack just because this is your first time in federal court.

Based on recent 2024 sentencing statistics, Indiana’s federal judges have generally aligned with the national sentencing averages. But in some categories, especially conspiracy cases that stack narcotics plus firearms charges, we see harsher-than-average outcomes. Let’s be real: when you’ve got a § 846 drug conspiracy tied with § 924(c) possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime – judges here have repeatedly sentenced on the higher end of the guideline ranges. That means instead of a 10-year minimum, you might be staring at 15 or 20 years depending on enhancements, priors, and whether agents claim you were a “leader” in a conspiracy.

Common Federal Charges in Indiana

I’ll be straight with you: these aren’t nickel-and-dime cases. These are the charges that actually move in Indiana’s federal courts:

• Drug Conspiracies & Firearms — Operations run jointly by the DEA, FBI, and ATF target methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin networks across both districts. We’ve seen cases out of Evansville where entire families were indicted based on confidential informant buys. And if there’s a gun in the mix under § 924(c), even if it wasn’t fired, you’re looking at mandatory consecutive time stacked on top of drug counts. There’s simply no parole in the federal system.
• White Collar Crime — Health care fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1347, bank fraud under § 1344, wire fraud under § 1343. These cases usually bring agencies like the IRS and FBI. Todd Spodek even represented Anna Delvey, the “fake heiress” that Netflix made a household name. Fraud cases don’t just take your freedom, they destroy your reputation permanently. We've handled cases that... look, the point is we win when there’s no room for error.
• Cybercrime & Internet Offenses — Federal cyber units here prosecute alleged hacks under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, identity theft under § 1028, and child exploitation offenses under § 2251. When agents kick in your door, they seize literally every piece of tech – phones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles. They’ll spend months combing terabytes of your data, piecing it together however they like, sometimes drawing conclusions that don't even match reality.
• Immigration Offenses — Charges under § 1326 (illegal reentry), visa fraud, or harboring undocumented individuals. The strange part? You might appear in a state court hearing, thinking it’s a minor matter, then be transferred into the custody of ICE and the U.S. Marshals within hours. That’s how seamless and relentless the cooperation machine is between state and federal officers in Indiana.

How Federal Sentencing Works in Indiana

Here’s what really happens: the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines control. Even though they’re technically “advisory,” every single judge in Indiana starts their calculation there. Enhancements matter more than you can imagine. If the indictment adds “leader/organizer role” or obstruction of justice, your range will shoot up. If weapons are attached, say goodbye to the lower guideline months. On top of that, you don’t get parole in the federal system. If you’re sentenced to 120 months, you will serve damn near all of it — with at best a slight reduction for “good time.”

The most overlooked landmine? The Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”). Drafted by a probation officer, full of so-called “facts.” Judges rely heavily on it, sometimes without question. If a probation officer claims you sold X kilograms more than what the evidence truly showed, the difference could be 5 years of your life. We fight over PSRs as hard as over the indictment itself because sometimes the sentencing hearing is the real battleground.

When Should You Get a Federal Lawyer?

Look, the correct answer is yesterday. People wait too long. The moment you get a target letter, the second the IRS or FBI knocks on your door for a “chat,” you need federal criminal defense. Do not assume you’re a witness, do not assume cooperation will keep you safe. We’ve watched clients who thought they were just “helping agents” — suddenly they’re indicted as co-conspirators. It happens constantly. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is playing chess. You’re playing checkers if you go it alone.

Even if you get grand jury subpoenaed just to bring in some records? Call a lawyer. We’ve had multiple cases where clients start as witnesses, slowly turn into “subjects,” then at the 6-month mark, end up as “targets.” That’s a progression you’ll never see coming until it’s too late.

The Cost of Federal Legal Representation in Indiana

I hear this question every day: how much does a federal defense cost? The answer is — it depends. A two-day plea hearing on a single count of illegal reentry is not the same expense as a month-long jury trial over securities fraud with multiple expert witnesses and terabytes of records, it’s just not. Fees for serious federal litigation will often run into the tens of thousands. Sometimes more. But here’s the painful truth — do you want to weigh that amount against losing 20 years of your life? Against losing your family, your job, your freedom? It’s not apples-to-apples. That money buys you a fighting chance, without it you’re walking alone into a storm where the government is armed with infinite resources.

Federal vs. State: Why Federal Cases are Different

People make the mistake of thinking “a case is a case.” Wrong. A state drug possession or theft charge is one thing. Federal is an entirely different world. Federal agencies – FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF working side-by-side – have already months of prep before your indictment. They subpoena banks, crawl your social media, seize encrypted hard drives. They present their case to a grand jury in secret. By the time you hear your name called in court, they’re already confident they’ve built a winning file. Compare that to a state arrest like a DUI or a shoplifting case that starts with an officer pulling you over. Different planet.

Procedurally, federal court means grand jury indictments, stricter bail standards under the Bail Reform Act, guideline sentencing, frequent mandatory minimums, and no parole. Bottom line – federal cases are complex, calculated, and designed for maximum punishment. That’s why we keep hammering it: hire a law firm that gets it. Spodek Law Group gets it. We’ve stepped foot in both the Northern and Southern District countless times. We know the nuances. We know where prosecutors cut no slack and where judges drop down hard.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group

The obvious answer? Experience. But more than that, fight. We’re not a timid local office waiting for scraps of plea deals. We’re a national-level defense firm that’s battled the Department of Justice in courtrooms coast-to-coast. When Netflix aired the Anna Delvey story, people saw just a sliver of the tenacity Todd Spodek brings to every case. That wasn’t a fluke. That was what we do. Hard cases, impossible odds, walls closing in — we find the way out.

Our rock star team has more than 50 years combined handling federal litigation. We know Indiana’s judges. We know Assistant U.S. Attorneys. We know which probation officers write fair PSRs and which don’t. And more importantly, our loyalty runs one direction only: to you. Not to the jurisdiction, not to convenience, not to making prosecutors happy. You hire us, we fight — period. Sometimes we negotiate strategically because it makes sense, sometimes we file motion after motion challenging evidence under Rule 41 (search and seizure), or suppression based on bad Title III wiretap warrants. Whatever it takes, we do.

We’re aggressive. We strategize like fanatics. And we don’t flinch in the face of ugly indictments. Drug cases in Evansville, fraud indictments in Indy, major cybercrime prosecutions in South Bend — we take them all on. And we don’t just “appear” in court; we fight like our own lives depend on it, because in some ways, every client’s future becomes our responsibility too. It matters to us on that level.

Call to Action: Protect Your Future Today

If you’re charged, or even think you might be facing federal charges in Indiana, waiting is deadly. Every day you stall is another day the government builds stronger. Reach out now. Don’t gamble. Don’t wait for the indictment to drop. The Spodek Law Group knows this chessboard — we’ve defended across the Northern and Southern Districts. We’ve taken on prosecutors armed with DEA, IRS, ATF, FBI case files and we’ve walked clients out free. Your reputation, your freedom, your future — they’re worth fighting for.

Call us today, talk to a team that gets it. Spodek Law Group.