If you're on our website, it's because you are staring down something serious – federal charges. And if you’re here, it’s because deep down you already know this is not the kind of fight you can take lightly. At Spodek Law Group, we know exactly what we’re talking about. Your freedom, your business, your family – everything could be ripped away when the federal government comes after you. We’re not going to sit here and sugarcoat things. Federal criminal cases are not small potatoes. They’re massive, coordinated, and designed to crush defendants. When the FBI, the DEA, the IRS, or the ATF puts you on their radar in Montana, you’ve got one option: hire a law firm that gets it, one that doesn’t flinch when the weight of Washington comes down on you.

Spodek Law Group has been front and center across the country. Todd Spodek himself defended Anna Delvey – the so-called “fake heiress” portrayed in Netflix’s *Inventing Anna.* That case wasn’t about money, it was about strategy and optics, navigating a national conversation while keeping a client’s future intact. That’s who we are. We’re the team you call when everything’s on the line, whether you’re being indicted in Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, or Butte. We bring not just skill, but over 50 years of combined courtroom experience. We’re battle-tested, and we owe loyalty to one person: you.

The Weight of Federal Charges in Montana

Here’s the raw truth: federal prosecutors don’t waste their time. They don’t take weak cases. If the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana is filing an indictment with charges under 21 U.S.C. §841(b) (drug distribution), 18 U.S.C. §1343 (wire fraud), or 18 U.S.C. §924(c) (firearm offenses during crimes), you can bet they’ve built their case piece by piece. Sometimes for years. The task forces in this state combine agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI, Homeland Security Investigations, and local sheriff’s offices. Everyone working together. Example: a Missoula woman recently got more than 8 years in federal prison after surveillance, controlled buys, and a task force investigation left her with basically no wiggle room. That’s how it goes. And in Montana, the government plays for keeps – which means our job is to play smarter, harder, and with zero room for error.

Common Federal Crimes in Montana

Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy

Meth trafficking is practically epidemic here. Under 21 U.S.C. §§841 and 846, drug trafficking and conspiracy are some of the most devastating statutes to be charged under. People don’t realize how conspiracy works in federal court – you don’t even have to touch the drugs, you just have to be part of the agreement and suddenly you’re tied to every kilogram the network ever touched. On Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, we saw a man plead guilty to armed meth distribution after DEA and FBI coordination. Think about the seriousness: one firearm enhancement under 18 U.S.C. §924 can add 5 years consecutive – stacked to the drug sentence. That’s how a 10-year case becomes 15 or 20 overnight. No parole. No second chances.

White Collar Crimes & Financial Fraud

Here’s what’s happening in Montana: wire fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343), bank fraud (§1344), mail fraud (§1341), and money laundering charges (§1956) are on the rise. The Economic Crime Unit with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is relentless. What seems like a “business deal gone wrong” suddenly morphs into a 30-page indictment with the words “scheme to defraud.” Take Matthew Jason Welch, charged with multiple counts of deceptive practices and theft by deception. At the state level that’s serious enough, but in federal court the exposure is staggering. Thousands of pages of financial records, subpoenas to banks, grand jury testimony, agents who know accounting backwards and forwards. That’s where our experience comes in – dismantling every single assumption line by line.

Firearms & Violent Crimes

Montana is a gun state. We all know that. But federal firearm laws are rigid, and if you cross the line, intent doesn’t matter much. Under 18 U.S.C. §922(g), prohibited possession charges carry years in prison. Combine that with a drug trafficking charge, and §924(c) creates a sentencing hammer. We’ve seen people here in Billings charged simply for trading a firearm in connection with narcotics – suddenly they’re staring at 10 extra years minimum. The ATF and Billings PD task forces are aggressive, and what looks like normal Montana gun culture can flip into a felony indictment without warning. That’s why you need a defense team who knows every nuance of the statutes, the sentencing guidelines, the plea options.

These aren’t one-agency files. These are joint task forces – overlapping investigations, shared resources, evidence pulled from multiple states. That’s why timing is everything. The sooner you bring us in, the more we can intercept, challenge, and undercut what they’re building.

Federal Court in Montana: What You Need to Know

Montana falls under the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, with divisions in Missoula, Billings, Helena, Great Falls, and Butte. Cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Montana, backed by Main Justice in D.C. Federal judges here lean heavily on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Here’s the harsh reality: guidelines are advisory on paper, but in practice judges use them as the baseline starting point. If the guidelines say 130-162 months, you’re probably looking at that unless your lawyer knows how to fight for downward departures or variances under 18 U.S.C. §3553(a). That’s exactly the kind of work we do.

Federal trials move fast once you’re indicted. Discovery is massive. In state court you might see files a few tabs thick. In federal court we’re talking 10,000+ pages. Wiretap transcripts, surveillance, undercover video, informant debriefs, emails subpoenaed directly from Google or social media platforms. I’ll be straight with you – it’s overwhelming for lawyers who haven’t lived and breathed it. But this is where we live.

State vs Federal Charges in Montana

We have to emphasize this because too many people make fatal mistakes. State crimes – like local DUIs, assaults, or a deceptive practices charge – are not the same animal as federal offenses. State cases often end in probation, diversion, or short sentences with parole. But cross that line into federal indictments? It’s a different world. No parole, harsher evidence rules, mandatory sentencing minimums, 85% minimum service time. So when people hire a state defender thinking it’s all the same – it’s like bringing a high school playbook and trying to run it at an NFL game. It doesn’t add up, and it won’t work.

What to Expect in a Federal Case

• Investigation: Most people don’t know they’re under investigation until it’s too late. Agents build cases using Title III wiretaps, search warrants under Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, confidential informants, and financial subpoenas. When they knock, they’ve already stacked evidence.
• Indictment & Arraignment: The grand jury process in Montana is not a formality. They issue the indictment, and from there you’re walked into U.S. District Court and arraigned. Formal, by the book, everything counts.
• Trial: Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure – no wiggle room. Prosecutors don’t set cases for trial unless they believe they can win. Our leverage is in being truly trial-ready.
• Sentencing: Judges must calculate guidelines, and then weigh arguments under §3553. The only way to shift sentences downward is advocacy, mitigation, strategy – and we do it every day. Same rules apply in Montana as in New York or L.A.

Reality check: federal prosecutors aren’t looking to scare you into a plea. They indict when they think they already have enough to convict. That’s why we build defenses ready for trial from day one, even if it never reaches that point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a federal lawyer cost?

No cookie-cutter price. A meth conspiracy case with multiple co-defendants, 1000s of pages of discovery, and mandatory minimums will take far more resources than a straight one-count wire fraud indictment. Fees track that complexity. Think about it like this – if you’re facing decades, what’s the investment worth? Cheap lawyers cut corners, and in federal court that’s suicide, plain and simple.

Do I really need a federal lawyer?

Yes. You do not walk into U.S. District Court without serious legal firepower. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana is staffed with career prosecutors who know criminal code inside and out. Federal law is not something you can just "figure out" along the way.

Can a lawyer from NY or CA represent me in Montana?

Not automatically. To appear in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, attorneys must be admitted there. We practice nationwide, so we make sure we’re admitted where needed. That’s how we can carry our clients anywhere the case goes, while still complying with local rules.

What about Federal Defenders of Montana?

They provide court-appointed defense for clients who qualify financially. They have strong lawyers, but – and this is important – caseloads are crushing, sometimes dozens of indictments at once. With private counsel like us, your case receives deliberate focus, strategy sessions, and investigative resources that simply aren’t realistic for overburdened Federal Defenders.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group

We’ve been here before. National cases, local cases, high-profile media trials. Todd Spodek’s defense of Anna Delvey is still talked about because it showed how optics and federal criminal strategy intersect. That case wasn’t about just statutes, it was about controlling narrative. The same intensity we brought there, we bring here. And make no mistake, we are admitted in the District of Montana – ready to walk into Billings, Missoula, Butte, right alongside you.

We’re a rock star team with 50 years of combined experience. We don’t split focus. We don’t juggle your case with a dozen others. We owe loyalty only to you. We’ve had clients facing 50 years – clients facing tens of millions in forfeitures under 21 U.S.C. §853 – clients under investigation by the IRS Criminal Division. We've handled cases that made headlines – look, the point is we win when others fold. Our strategy is brutal preparation, precise execution, and loyalty to you, not procedural shortcuts.

Federal court is war. That’s our philosophy. If negotiating is in your best interest, we negotiate with strength. If trial is where the case has to go, we walk into trial already ten steps ahead, because from the moment we take your case, that’s how we prepare.

Call to Action: Your Freedom Can’t Wait

If you’ve been contacted by the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, HSI – or the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana – even just for an “interview,” don’t wait. It means a case has been run through joint task forces for months if not years. Don’t let them get to indictment before you get to us. These charges can mean decades in prison, or millions in penalties. One call to Spodek Law Group – right now – can change the entire trajectory of your life.

Contact Spodek Law Group for a confidential consultation with a Montana federal criminal lawyer admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Your freedom, your future, your family – it’s all that matters, and we’re here to protect it.