If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and need the best possible Kansas federal criminal defense lawyer. At Spodek Law Group, we know exactly how high the stakes are when the United States government is throwing everything it has against you. Federal cases are absolutely not like state cases you’d see in Johnson County or Sedgwick County – here, the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, Homeland Security are usually all involved and they’ve been investigating quietly for months if not years. When you’re indicted federally, prison is measured not in months or a couple years – you could be looking at decades. Sometimes life. This is your future on the line, and ours is a firm that treats it as seriously as you do.

We are a nationally recognized law firm. We’ve represented clients in nearly every federal district in this country, from Kansas City, Kansas, to Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia. Cases that made headlines around the world – and plenty of cases that never saw a single newspaper report but mattered just as much to the families involved. Everyone heard about Netflix telling the story of Todd Spodek’s client, Anna Delvey. That’s press. But here’s the takeaway: if we can stand toe-to-toe with prosecutors in a case watched worldwide, we’re more than ready to defend you in federal courtrooms in Wichita, Topeka, or Kansas City. Our team wins because we fight smart, and we fight hard.

Federal Charges in Kansas: How They're Different

Here’s what you need to know. Federal cases here are prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Three courthouses: Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita. The U.S. Attorney’s Office uses grand juries to bring indictments. And by the time an indictment is filed, the FBI or DEA or IRS or DHS has already built everything they think they need. Wiretaps, controlled buys, forensic accounting trails. These cases aren’t dropped suddenly, they’re carefully crafted. State court in Kansas is simply not on this level.

The biggest shock most defendants face: federal sentencing. Sentencing in this world isn’t about a judge’s gut feeling, it’s guided by the rigid Federal Sentencing Guidelines. And these guidelines are brutal when combined with statutes like 21 U.S.C. § 841 (drug distribution), 21 U.S.C. § 846 (conspiracy), 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) (felon-in-possession of a firearm), and 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud). Judges in Kansas do follow these guidelines, and unless an attorney knows how to argue departures or variances, you’re stuck with sentences that will devastate your family. Mandatory minimums in drug cases? Ten years. Fifteen. Life. It’s a different universe than state law.

Common Federal Criminal Cases in Kansas

Let’s get specific. In 2024 alone there’ve already been indictments in the District of Kansas targeting large organizations. For example, a methamphetamine conspiracy involving 13 defendants tied to Mexico and Central America – prosecutors charged everyone, from alleged leaders to drivers, under conspiracy law. That’s the government’s trick: conspiracy charges under 21 U.S.C. § 846 erase distinctions about roles. If you did one small errand, you’re swept into the same penalties as the leaders. It’s the most ruthless weapon in the federal arsenal. And they use it here all the time.

• Drug cases: Methamphetamine trafficking is everywhere in Kansas federal indictments. Heroin, fentanyl, cocaine too, but meth dominates the docket. Expect charges under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846 – distribution and conspiracy.
• Fraud & White Collar: Federal wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), even PPP loan fraud – those cases hit Kansas just like every other state. And federal prosecutors treat them seriously.
• Guns & Violence: Prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) (felon in possession), straw purchases, firearms tied to narcotics trafficking, “924(c)” charges (using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking). These add mandatory years.

Look, I’ll be straight with you. Federal prosecutors in Kansas love conspiracy charges. They love stacking statutes. They love making an example. The difference between “I was just helping a friend” and “I’m looking at 25 years” is the fact that the government can connect you to the broader conspiracy – it’s unfair, we know it, but it’s the law.

Navigating the Federal Process in Kansas

Here’s the roadmap in Kansas federal court. First – the grand jury indictment. You usually don’t even see it coming, the FBI or DEA has already been recording, following, building. Then comes your detention hearing. Bond is difficult; federal judges in Kansas lean on statutory detention presumptions in drug and firearm cases. If the U.S. Attorney says you’re a risk, you’re fighting uphill just to sleep in your own bed at night, not a federal cell.

Then it’s status conferences, motions, discovery. The prosecution turns over electronic surveillance – sometimes terabytes of data. We file motions to suppress, challenges to search warrants, Title III wiretap challenges. Plea negotiations happen, but federal plea deals aren’t weak. Prosecutors hold leverage because of mandatory minimums. Trials are complex, involving jury instructions on statutes like 841, 846, 922, and fraud statutes. And if convicted, sentencing guidelines kick in. The U.S. Sentencing Commission data shows Kansas sentences for methamphetamine trafficking run higher than national averages. That’s the environment we’re in.

Sentencing isn’t the end of the story though. Departures and variances are the lifelines. We know how to fight within § 3553(a) factors. We know which arguments move federal judges in Wichita, in Topeka, in Kansas City. That experience matters. A lot.

When to Hire a Federal Criminal Lawyer

So when do you need us? Right away. Immediately. The moment the the U.S. Attorney sends you a target letter, or the FBI or ATF comes asking "friendly" questions, or the DEA executes a search warrant at your home, or worse, you’re indicted under seal and suddenly arrested. That’s not the time to wait and “see how it plays.” That’s the time to hire a law firm that gets it.

• Target letters are warnings. Do not ignore them.
• Agents showing up “just to talk” – they’re building their case, not trying to help you.
• Search warrants – which almost always mean indictments are not far behind.
• Formal indictment in District of Kansas – at that point your freedom is officially on the line.

Too many people wait. They think maybe they can wiggle out, or hire a great state court lawyer. That’s a mistake we’ve seen ruin lives. Federal is not state. We can’t scream this enough – you must have someone who spends every day fighting federal statutes, guidelines, agencies.

How Much Does a Federal Criminal Lawyer Cost?

Let me answer the question everyone asks: “How much does this cost?” The truth is, it depends. If we’re handling a simple one-defendant wire fraud indictment with a manageable discovery file, that’s different than defending a sprawling multi-defendant narcotics conspiracy with wiretaps, international components, multiple experts. Federal cases demand hundreds of hours. Sometimes thousands. We work with forensic accountants, prison consultants, narcotics analysts, digital tech experts. That costs money. Trials in federal court often take weeks, not days.

But remember what’s on the other side of this. 20 years. 30 years. Life. This isn’t a traffic ticket, it’s everything you have. So yes, federal defense is an investment, but it’s the investment that keeps your family together, that keeps you out of prison, that keeps your buisness alive. We’ll be direct with you about costs – we don’t do sugarcoating – but the alternative is unthinkable.

Choosing the Best Kansas Federal Defense Attorney

Not all attorneys can handle federal court in Kansas. Many would love to, but they simply don’t have the background. You need a rock star team – and that’s not hype, that’s reality. Our firm has over 50 years of combined experience defending serious federal felonies. We know how federal judges think, we know U.S. attorneys’ playbooks, we know the procedural quirks in Kansas federal courtrooms. That comes only with years in the trenches.

Ask the right questions: Does your lawyer know how to argue for a downward variance under § 3553(a)? Have they challenged wiretaps? Have they tried cases under 18 U.S.C. § 1343? We have. We’ve stood in those courtrooms again and again, in Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka. We’ve handled cases that... look, the point is we win, in big ones and small ones, headline cases and quiet pleas that saved a client decades in prison. Both matter equally to us. Because both involve someone’s future on the line.

Protecting Your Future: Why Immediate Action is Everything

Kansas federal judges generally sentence in-line with the tough national averages – no one here is known for being “light.” Multi-defendant drug conspiracy? Possible life. Gun cases tied into drug trafficking? 25+ years minimum. Fraud cases? Potential decades in prison, restitution that will follow a family for years. We’ve seen judges here hand down sentences that shocked even prosecutors.

The prison time is bad enough, but here’s what people forget: collateral damage. A felony conviction affects your business licenses, your professional standing, your immigration status, your ability to parent, your ability to even vote. It touches every piece of your life. Once the federal government brands you, it follows forever.

And this is why immediate action matters. Delay is deadly. Every day you wait is another day the government strengthens its case. If you’re in Kansas – Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City – and you or someone you care about is staring down a federal case, you need us now. Our team is available 24/7. We bring the same nationally recognized, battle-tested defense team that stood beside Anna Delvey under national spotlight – and we fight just as hard in cases no one will read about in the news. Either way it’s the same to us. Your freedom, your family, your future. That’s all we care about.