If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and need a lawyer who understands how much is truly on the line. At Spodek Law Group, we know exactly what you're going through. It's overwhelming, terrifying even, and it feels like the entire federal government has built a machine designed to crush you. We're here because we get it – and because we fight back against that machine every single day. That's what separates us.

Federal criminal charges in Minnesota are not just some extension of state law. They’re brought under federal statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy), 21 U.S.C. § 841 (Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances), and 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) (Felon in Possession of a Firearm). When you’re indicted under these laws, the sentences aren’t months – they’re decades, often mandatory decades. And when those guidelines kick in, especially with the 2024 updates that drag in out-of-state priors, it can transform a 5 year exposure into 20 without blinking. This isn’t theory. It’s reality, it’s math that crushes people.

Our reputation is national. It’s the same firm that the world saw in action during the Netflix series about Anna Delvey – Todd Spodek stood at the center of that storm when everyone was watching. That case captured the nation’s attention, but for us it was another day of doing what we always do: defending fiercely, thinking strategically, performing under pressure that cracks most lawyers in half. It matters, because when your name is on an indictment in federal court in Minneapolis or St. Paul, the weight feels just as heavy as any headline case – and you deserve the same type of defense.

Federal vs. State Charges in Minnesota

I’ll be straight with you: people constantly underestimate federal court. They think a federal drug conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846 is the same as having a controlled substance charge out of Hennepin County. No. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, run by Andrew Luger and his Assistant U.S. Attorneys, operates in the U.S. District Courts in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Fergus Falls. That’s Article III judges, lifetime appointees, not county judges cycling through a docket. The prosecutors have unlimited resources – FBI agents, DEA squads, IRS-CI forensic accountants, ATF task forces – all lined up against you. The rules of procedure are tighter, discovery is narrower, sentencing is formula-driven. It’s a totally different battlefield.

And when you’re facing an indictment signed off by a federal grand jury, it means agencies like FBI, DEA, IRS, or ATF have already invested years into building the file. At the state level, you can sometimes negotiate something quick. In federal court, the AUSAs are methodical, they prepare their sentencing recommendations for months. That’s why you need us in your corner from the second the target letter hits your mailbox.

Federal Enforcement Trends in Minnesota

Look – federal investigations don’t appear from thin air. They’re deliberate, often involving overlapping agencies. In 2023 and 2024, we saw DEA teams in Minneapolis partner with local MPD on joint raids that later resulted in federal indictments instead of state ones. That tells you something crucial: when federal prosecutors see a local case that they think hits the guidelines harder, they’re quick to yank it out of state court and bring it downtown to federal court in Minneapolis. We've handled cases that – look, the point is, we win even when the government stacks the odds.

There was even the recent case of a St. Paul woman facing federal assault charges for resisting federal officers. That charge instantly removes it from state jurisdiction, shows you how trivial facts can throw a whole case into federal levels. This isn’t about small-town Minnesota anymore. This is the full federal machine reaching into every community, and if you don’t have someone tracking those patterns, you’re already behind.

Types of Federal Criminal Charges in Minnesota

• White Collar Crimes – Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. § 7201, identity theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A). We see AUSAs in Minnesota ramp up prosecutions that involve complicated financial records, often using IRS-CI, FBI squads, and grand jury subpoenas against accountants and business partners.
• Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy – Conspiracies under 21 U.S.C. § 846, distribution charges under 21 U.S.C. § 841. The DEA and ATF aggressively pursue even mid-level players. In these conspiracy cases, simply being part of a group can tag you with mandatory minimums of 10 to life, regardless of your actual role. That means couriers, drivers, lookouts get hammered as hard as leaders.
• Firearms & Violent Offenses – 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) felon in possession, 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking). Federal judges in Minnesota take these seriously – enhancement levels are brutal, stacking decades onto sentences. Assaults involving federal officers fall under 18 U.S.C. § 111, meaning the jurisdictional hook alone makes the case federal.
• Cybercrime – With the Minneapolis FBI cyber units growing, indictments for cryptocurrency frauds, hacking under 18 U.S.C. § 1030 (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act), and online scams are steadily increasing. DOJ has made this a focus, pulling in cases that used to stay civil or state into full-blown federal prosecutions.

Here’s what you need to take away: by the time your case hits federal court, the story is the government has already stacked its evidence. Wiretaps, surveillance, cooperator testimony, seized devices, lab reports – it’s all there. Our role is to dissect it with precision, spot the legal openings, challenge enhancements, and push for variances where guidelines overinflate the punishment. It’s not a quick fix. It’s a grind we know how to handle.

Minnesota Federal Sentencing: 2024 Guidelines

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines apply in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Fergus Falls. These aren’t “suggestions” – yes, they’re technically advisory after U.S. v. Booker, but Minnesota judges keep them front and center. In 2024, guidelines force inclusion of prior state and out-of-state convictions in determining your criminal history category. That alone inflates exposure massively. Example: a fraud case that at state level might mean probation turns into a Category III with enhancements that suddenly suggest 87-108 months in prison. One old conviction in Wisconsin or Illinois, and boom – you’re staring down federal prison time. And unfortunately probation officers play a big role in sentencing reports, so if we don't challenge their assumptions, their numbers become the story. That’s not acceptable – we go after it.

Even first time fraud defendants see 8-10 years because of loss amount calculations in §2B1.1. Narcotics? With 5 kilos cocaine or 1 kilo heroin, the mandatory minimums are 10 years, period. Add enhancements for leadership roles and firearms, you’re suddenly in 20-30 years territory. You need a lawyer who knows variances and departures: mitigating role, aberrant behavior, safety-valve eligibility, downward departures under §5K. These aren’t optional – they’re survival tools. We pull those levers aggressively.

Questions We Hear From Minnesota Clients

How much does a federal lawyer cost? Federal defense is not like a state DUI. It involves motions practice, voluminous discovery, wiretap challenges, guideline disputes, suppression hearings. Fees vary because cases vary. What I will tell you – we don’t cut corners, we do what actually matters to the defense. That’s why clients come to us.

Who is the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota? As of 2024 it’s Andrew Luger. His AUSAs prosecute every federal case in this state. Knowing their tendencies – what they push at sentencing, how they structure plea offers, which ones are trial-heavy – is part of our strategic map. You don’t download that knowledge from a book, you learn it from experience, battle after battle.

Do I really need a lawyer? Yes. Even more blunt: going federal court alone is suicide. Conviction rates north of 90%. These aren’t cases to “just see what happens.” Nobody beats the FBI, DEA or IRS by themselves. You need a firm that studies the playbook and hits back hard.

What is a federal lawyer called? Technically, a federal criminal defense attorney. What you actually want is a federal defense lawyer with a record in the District of Minnesota, not somebody handling misdemeanors in Hennepin. There’s a huge difference between the the two.

Why Clients Choose Spodek Law Group

This is important: our loyalty is only to YOU. Period. Not the prosecutors, not the court’s schedule, not appearances. Just you. That’s why nationally, people trust us with high-profile, complex, and ugly cases – fraud conspiracies, narcotics rings, firearm conspiracies, cybercrime indictments. Some of our clients have millions at risk, some have their entire freedom on the line. Either way, our loyalty doesn’t bend. Ever.

And the team we’ve built? 50+ years of combined experience, and yes – a rock star team. Honestly, when decades in prison are on the table, you don’t want someone cutting their teeth on your case, you want a team that’s been inside the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis and knows the federal judges, the guidelines, and the sentencing variances inside and out. That's us. We’ve handled cases other firms called “impossible.” We’ve secured outcomes others thought couldn’t be done. Just like Anna Delvey’s case that the world watched – Todd Spodek took the spotlight and delivered. That’s the same advocacy we bring to clients throughout Minnesota federal courts, whether or not the media is there.

Protect Your Future Today

Federal indictments don’t come until the government is ready. By the time it drops, the record is already built with wire interceptions, surveillance reports, cooperator debriefs, sometimes terabytes of data. If you wait, their evidence calcifies, options shrink, and judges see you as passive. We don’t let that happen. We challenge early, push discovery, fight forfeitures, negotiate strategically, and prepare for trial at every step so prosecutors know we’re not easy outs.

Call us now. Don’t wait for the next hearing date. Spodek Law Group is available 24/7 – day, night, weekends, whenever you need us. We represent defendants across the District of Minnesota – Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Fergus Falls – and nationally if needed. The same team trusted with headline cases, trusted with clients facing life sentences, trusted when everything is on the line. You want a law firm that gets it. That’s what we are. Hire the law firm that gets it.

At Spodek Law, we get it. We’ll stand with you every single step and build the defense you deserve. That’s the promise.