If you're on our website, it's because you’re staring down the reality of a federal case – and you need the kind of representation that isn’t scared of the U.S. government. At Spodek Law Group, we don’t play games with your future. We’ve been here before. We know exactly how serious this is. Federal prosecutions aren’t like DUI’s in state court or misdemeanors that can be pled down with a conversation in the hallway. These are battles where the government comes with everything, and if you don’t respond the right way, your life can be over before you realize it.

Let’s keep it real, an indictment in federal court here in Nashville is basically the government saying: we’ve got resources, we’ve got grand jury witnesses, and we’re ready to push you through sentencing guidelines written to break people. The prosecutors in the Middle District of Tennessee represent the full weight of the United States. That means the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Homeland Security, Treasury investigators, sometimes all working together. You’re one person – maybe with a family, maybe a career – and now you’re on the receiving end of an investigation that’s been carefully built for months or even years. This isn’t a scare tactic, it’s the truth.

Just think about Terrence Devol London II – a Nashville man who got hammered with a 20-year sentence in federal prison for drug conspiracy charges. Twenty years. That wasn’t politics or media hype; it was cold, calculated federal sentencing under statutes like 21 U.S.C. §841 and §846. You think you can beat that without a serious defense plan? You can’t. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville thrives on making examples out of cases like his.

Nashville’s Federal Court – The Middle District of Tennessee

Nashville is under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. This is the courthouse at 801 Broadway, the one where federal prosecutions – from wire fraud to organized crime – get litigated. If you’re used to thinking of Davidson County state court, throw that image away. Because in the federal courthouse, you’ve got lifetime-appointed judges, federal clerks and probation officers, and AUSAs who wake up every morning looking to bring a new conviction.

And let’s be blunt, the culture in Nashville’s federal court is unforgiving. You don’t get probation for felonies the way you might in state court. You don’t see diversion programs. What you see are mandatory minimums, sentencing enhancements under the United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual, 18 U.S.C. §924(c) firearm enhancements that can add decades to a term, money laundering counts stacked on top of fraud counts. If one statute doesn’t bury you, prosecutors will find a second or third to make sure they do.

Take the MS-13 bust. DEA, FBI, ATF, Homeland Security – all joined in a coordinated effort in Nashville and across state lines. They seized kilos of narcotics, automatic weapons, assault rifles, and dropped federal indictments on multiple people. These were operations planned months ahead with surveillance, wiretaps under Title III, and sealed indictments. If they want you – they will come with everything. That’s the reality of Nashville federal court.

Federal vs State Charges – Why It Matters

Here’s the thing. A state case and a federal case are not even remotely the same ballgame. Probation? Forget it. Pleas that keep you out of prison? Not common. In a federal case, the government works off the sentencing guidelines and statutes that can box you into years locked away. This isn’t scare talk, it’s what happens every single day in Middle District sentencing hearings.

• Sentencing: Tennessee state courts sometimes offer probation, pretrial diversion, and parole. Federal courts? Parole is abolished, you serve real time. And enhancements under 18 U.S.C. §3553 or the Guidelines can change everything.
• Investigations: State prosecutors might rely on a couple officers and witnesses. Federal prosecutors rely on sealed indictments, grand jury subpoenas, wiretaps authorized under Title III, cooperating informants, and coordinated multi-agency task forces.
• Penalties: State-level possession of cocaine might lead to probation or short jail. A federal conspiracy to distribute (21 U.S.C. §846) – you could be looking at 10 years minimum, and enhancements make it 20-to-life.

And I can tell you from firsthand experience – even so-called “white collar” crimes are devastating in federal court. Anna Sorokin (Anna Delvey) is the perfect example. That was a case we lived in realtime, navigating federal fraud allegations that made global news and then Netflix. That wasn’t just about credit card transactions or checks. That was about the government trying to portray her as someone conspiring to manipulate financial systems. The difference between a financial state charge in Tennessee and a federal wire fraud indictment is night and day. We know this because we’ve defended them on both levels.

Common Federal Prosecutions We See In Nashville

Drug Conspiracies & Cartel Cases

If you’re even alleged to be part of a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in Nashville, expect 21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(A) mandatory minimums to be in play. It doesn’t matter if you never touched a kilo – conspiracy law in federal court means you can be sentenced for the entire conspiracy, not just your personal role. That’s harsh. And that’s the law. The DEA and FBI push these cases hard, because drugs crossing state lines or cartel-level supplies give them federal jurisdiction.

White Collar & Financial Crimes

Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343). Mail fraud (18 U.S.C. §1341). Bank fraud (18 U.S.C. §1344). Money laundering statutes under 18 U.S.C. §1956. We’re talking about charges that sound sterile on paper but carry 20 years max per count. Nashville has seen a surge in federal white collar prosecutions – especially as prosecutors try to prove they won’t ignore financial crimes in Tennessee markets. If your case involves stock, crypto, federal benefits, or even complex tax filings, the IRS Criminal Investigations Unit can and will become involved.

Firearms & Gang Prosecutions

ATF and FBI agents partner with the U.S. Attorney to go after gun-related charges. When firearms are tied to drug conspiracies or violent gangs, you may see 18 U.S.C. §924(c) firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime stacked on top of your charges. That’s 5 years minimum, mandatory, consecutive. If the alleged firearm was an assault rifle? You could be looking at 30 years. Federal firearm enhancements change everything, no matter how minor you think your role is.

Sexual Exploitation & Internet Crimes

Cases involving the internet, minors, or interstate transmissions instantly fall under federal statutes like 18 U.S.C. §2251 (sexual exploitation of minors), §2252, or §2422. These are statutes with catastrophic penalties – decades, sometimes life. You can’t walk into court in Nashville thinking these cases will be pled out softly. You need an actual defense strategy, experts, forensic analysis, and above all else – a legal team that’s not afraid of these high-stakes prosecutions.

The Federal Court Process – Step by Step

Investigation

Listen carefully: if your name is being whispered in connection with a federal case, odds are you’re already under investigation. By the time you realize it, agents may already have subpoenas, confidential informants recording conversations, or sealed documents in front of a grand jury. The FBI and IRS don’t come to your door on day one, they come when they’re ready to arrest. The investigation stage is silent, creeping, and when you find out – it’s late.

Indictment & Arraignment

Federal grand juries approve indictments after hearing one side – the government’s. That’s it. You don’t get a chance to defend yourself at that stage. In Nashville, arraignment is the first time you’ll stand in front of the federal judge, hear the charges read, and enter a plea. It’s intimidating, because the government will have already portrayed you in the harshest light possible. And you’ll feel the full weight of the courtroom as you hear those statutes cited out loud.

Trial & Sentencing

Federal trials are brutal. They’re complicated, filled with expert witnesses, wiretap evidence, federal investigators testifying against you. Jurors in Nashville’s federal court take it deadly serious, and judges here strictly enforce the Guidelines. I’ve seen people gamble at trial and walk out with decades. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win ones other firms said were hopeless. And sentencing isn’t forgiving – enhancements, role adjustments, criminal history categories – these things stack in ways that shock clients the first time they see the calculations.

FAQs

Do I really need a lawyer just because I’m under investigation?

Yes. 100% yes. I’ll be straight with you, waiting to see what happens is suicide in federal court. The FBI or DEA doesn’t call you unless you’re already in their bullseye, and by then they have evidence you don’t even know exists. We step in early, and early intervention sometimes makes the the difference between an indictment and no indictment.

What’s the difference between a federal lawyer and a state lawyer?

A federal defense lawyer is someone who actually has experience standing in front of a federal judge, knowing the guidelines, knowing how AUSAs in Nashville negotiate, knowing how to challenge statutes and suppress evidence under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. We’re not just criminal lawyers – we’re the lawyers you want when the Middle District has you in its sights.

What does a federal lawyer cost in Nashville?

I hate giving a generic answer, but here’s the reality: these cases are expensive. It’s not the same as hiring a lawyer for a local misdemeanor in state court. Federal conspiracy, fraud, RICO, or money laundering cases require investigators, trial preparation, expert witnesses, hearings that last days. We’re upfront: yes it costs more, but losing costs everything. People ask “is it worth it?” and our answer is simple – your life, your career, your family’s future – it’s worth more than a legal fee.

Why Spodek Law Group

We’re not a local “one lawyer with a secretary” type of office. We are a nationally recognized federal defense firm with boots on the ground in Nashville and in courthouses across the country. Our team has over 50 years of combined experience – handling federal cases involving the DEA, IRS, FBI, DOJ, ATF, Homeland Security. We’ve taken on cases other lawyers told clients to plead out immediately. We don’t walk away. We fight through indictments, motions, suppression hearings, trials, sentencing hearings, appeals.

We bring a rock star legal team to the table. And we owe loyalty to nobody but you. Not the judge, not the prosecutor. Just you. We fight for you without apology. Our clients trust us because we’ve shown up in the toughest moments and actually delivered results other firms couldn’t even imagine getting. That’s what separates Spodek Law Group – not talk, not brochures, but wins.

I’ll tell you directly: hire the wrong lawyer, and it’ll wreck your life. Hire a law firm that gets it. We do. And we’ve got the federal case record to back it up.

Protect Your Future in Nashville Federal Court

If you think you’re under investigation, don’t wait for the knock at your door. Don’t hope it goes away. By the time the indictment comes, the government’s file against you is already a book. Every hour you lose is an advantage for the prosecutors. Call us immediately. Stop looking at websites, stop debating. Pick up the phone and call Spodek Law Group right now. We will talk to you confidentially, explain the real risks, and map out a plan to attack this with everything we’ve got. Because that’s what these cases demand.

Contact Spodek Law Group today. Don’t gamble with your life in federal court without the defense team that knows Nashville, knows the federal statutes, knows the prosecutors, and knows how to fight back when the government throws it all at you.