If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you already know this is different. At Spodek Law Group, we understand exactly what that means, and we’ve built our careers around handling the toughest cases in federal courtrooms. This isn’t paperwork. This isn’t traffic tickets. This is your life, your freedom, your reputation on the line – and when you’re up against the United States of America in Iowa, you better have a law firm that gets it.

When the feds indict you in Iowa, it’s not like walking into Polk County courthouse on a possession charge. You are walking into the United States District Court for the Northern or Southern District of Iowa. Both districts are run by smart, strategic judges who take the Federal Sentencing Guidelines seriously. You’re facing Assistant U.S. Attorneys who handle nothing *but* felony prosecutions – fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, drug conspiracies under 21 U.S.C. § 841 and § 846, racketeering under 18 U.S.C. § 1962, weapons offenses under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). You aren’t fighting amateurs. Neither are we.

Our team brings over 50+ years combined experience battling federal prosecutors nationwide. And we don’t play nice. Our loyalty is only to you – not to local politics, not to judges, and certainly not to AUSAs. If you’re indicted in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Davenport or Sioux City, our loyalty might be the only thing standing between you and a sentence that runs longer than your lifetime.

The Reality of Facing Federal Charges in Iowa

I’ll be straight with you. Facing a federal case here is brutal. Unlike state cases, the feds investigate for months or even years before kicking your door down. They use grand juries in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids to secretly subpoena records, they wiretap phones, they coordinate FBI, DEA, IRS, and ATF. By the time you even suspect you're in trouble, they might already have 10 binders of evidence on you.

Just last year in Iowa, we saw entire neighborhoods in Des Moines flooded with federal agents armed with warrants. Families woken up at 5am by DEA raids. We've seen white-collar defendants in Davenport get charged with wire fraud conspiracies that span five states. We’ve seen meth conspiracies in Mason City with indictments carrying 20 year mandatory minimums, not because of what was sold but because of conspiracy law sweeping everyone in. This is what federal court looks like here.

Understanding the Federal Courts in Iowa

Iowa is split into two federal judicial districts:

• Northern District of Iowa: Based in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City. Covers Waterloo, Mason City, Fort Dodge, and surrounding counties. Courts sit in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City. Prosecutors here focus heavily on methamphetamine conspiracies and firearms crimes. The FBI field office in Cedar Rapids works closely with DEA and ATF task forces.
• Southern District of Iowa: Headquartered in Des Moines with branches in Council Bluffs and Davenport. They push prosecutions of bank fraud, tax fraud, health care fraud, and large drug distribution cases involving interstate networks. IRS-CI and Homeland Security Investigations play a big role here.

Each district has its own sentencing tendencies, ideas about plea agreements, preferences for discovery disputes, and you need a defense lawyer who’s seen both sides of that courtroom dynamic. We have.

What a Federal Criminal Lawyer Actually Does for You

Lots of lawyers throw “federal” in their ads. It sounds powerful. The truth? Very few grind in federal court every single week. Here's what we actually do.

• Pre-Indictment Protection: When FBI or IRS knocks politely and says “we just want to talk” – we step in, we stop you from saying something you’ll regret. One wrong statement can create new charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (false statements). Happens constantly.
• Challenging Warrants: Federal search warrants have strict rules under Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. If agents overstep, evidence can be tossed. We dig into how warrants were obtained and executed – like December 2024’s Des Moines raids – and we fight every inch of it.
• Plea & Negotiation: AUSAs negotiate in the shadow of the Guidelines. We understand enhancements, criminal history categories, statutory minimums, supervised release terms. We know how to fight stacked charges so you don’t get railroaded by guideline math.
• Trial: We’ve tried federal cases. In front of juries who know nothing about your neighborhood and only what prosecutors spoon-feed them. When AUSAs realize you’re actually willing and able to push a case to trial, it changes leverage, it changes outcomes, it changes the conversation entirely.

Common Federal Charges in Iowa

Here’s what we see day in and day out:

• Drug Conspiracies (21 U.S.C. § 846): Methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, prescription pills. Commonly paired with 21 U.S.C. § 841 distribution charges. Mandatory minimums of 10+ years, even life, depending on quantity. Federal drug task forces in Waterloo and Des Moines file these constantly.
• Wire Fraud & Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343 and § 1344): Des Moines AUSAs bring heavy cases against executives, insurance brokers, and financial advisors, pulling in IRS data and bank records. Sentences run long with loss amounts above $1M.
• Firearms Offenses (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)): Felon-in-possession charges come with harsh penalties – sometimes 15 years under the Armed Career Criminal Act (18 U.S.C. § 924(e)). Forget about probation. Not happening.
• RICO & Organized Crime (18 U.S.C. § 1962): Racketeering cases out of Davenport have shut down entire defendants' lives with indictments carrying 20-year exposure. The government brings in wiretaps, confidential informants, controlled buys – they throw everything at you.
• Tax & IRS Cases: IRS-CI builds cases for years before indicting under 26 U.S.C. § 7201 (tax evasion) or § 7206. Once an indictment hits in Council Bluffs or Cedar Rapids, they’ve already reviewed every bank statement you ever filed.

Sentencing in Iowa Federal Courts

Here is what really happens: you get convicted, the Probation Office runs your Pre-Sentencing Report (PSR), and suddenly you’re at offense level 34, with a criminal history category II. That guideline chart – it’s deadly. You’re looking at 151 to 188 months. And that’s before enhancements like aggravating role or obstruction of justice. I’ve watched first-time offenders walk into court thinking probation was possible – and walk out with a decade.

Even though technically the Guidelines are “advisory” since United States v. Booker, in practice Iowa judges follow them closely. They can drop downward if you qualify for safety valve or offer cooperation, but otherwise, the sentences land heavy. The average sentence for meth conspiracies in Iowa is far above the state average, and that says it all.

When You Need to Call Us

Too many people wait. Don’t. If DEA task force officers leave a card, if IRS is asking questions, if federal agents are talking to your employees – the investigation is already advanced. You need us at investigation stage.

After indictment? The grand jury has already voted true bill, meaning prosecutors have testimony, documents, surveillance. They’ve built their case. You need us to start filing motions, start attacking weaknesses, start preparing experts.

Even after conviction, we handle Eighth Circuit appeals. We dig into trial errors, jury instructions, evidentiary rulings, Brady disclosures, sentencing miscalculations under 18 U.S.C. § 3553. There are ways back, but only if you fight.

Choosing the Right Federal Defense Team

Look, you probably know ten criminal lawyers just in Des Moines. But here’s the truth – federal defense is a niche world. Judges expect precision. AUSAs eat “dabblers” for breakfast. You want someone who has been in the fire before. Someone who tried cases that the media covered. If my name sounds familiar, yes, I defended Anna Delvey – Anna Sorokin – in a case that Netflix turned into “Inventing Anna.” That case was on every TV in America, and we fought every single day like the cameras weren’t even there. That’s the same energy we bring to you.

• Ask if your lawyer has actually tried a case to a jury in federal court, not just plead them out.
• Ask how many times they’ve negotiated with Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Iowa’s federal districts.
• Ask what cases they’ve handled nationally – our reach is across the U.S., not just local courthouses.

Cost of a Federal Lawyer in Iowa

The cost question always comes up. And I get it. People Google “average cost of a federal criminal lawyer.” But here’s reality: a three-year tax investigation with IRS subpoenas is not the same animal as a meth conspiracy indictment with 20 co-defendants. Fees depend on complexity, the the length of discovery, the need for experts. We structure flat or hybrid fee models. Always transparent. No one gets blindsided. But – and this is the important part – the cost of not hiring the right lawyer is 20, 30, 40+ years in a federal cell. That’s not me being dramatic. That’s just numbers.

Why Federal vs State Really Matters

People sometimes say “Well, I’ve had state charges before.” Doesn’t matter. Federal is its own game. No parole. No light sentences. No plea deals where you just get probation because you “know a guy.”

• Exposure: A state OWI or possession might get probation. A federal indictment under § 846 conspiracy involving meth? 10 years minimum, no parole.
• Agencies: State prosecutors rely on local police. Federal prosecutors come with FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS – four agencies, all working full-time on you. Good luck facing that without firepower on your side.
• Rules: You have to know Federal Criminal Procedure. Rule 16 discovery. Jencks Act. Giglio materials. Federal Evidence rules. These aren’t optional details, they’re survival tactics.

Call Spodek Law Group Today

And here’s where we land: Iowa’s federal prosecutors are tough, they push harsh sentences, and they don’t care if it’s your first arrest. If you’re under investigation in Iowa, if you’re indicted anywhere in the Northern or Southern District, you need us right now.

At Spodek Law Group, we bring a rock star team with 50+ years combined experience. We fight like hell. We go places other lawyers won’t go. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win, and when we can’t win outright, we minimize so deeply that clients keep their lives intact. We are loyal only to you. Nobody else.

If you or someone you love is targeted by federal agents in Iowa – FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF – do not gamble with your life. Call us today. Freedom is on the line. And we’re ready to fight for it.