If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you know this isn’t something you can just ignore. When you're indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana, it's not local cops or a DA down the street. You're up against the United States of America – the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans – and behind them? Teams from the DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, ATF, and even Homeland Security. Federal prosecutors don’t waste time filing minor cases. By the time you hear your name called in federal court, they've already lined up statutes like 21 U.S.C. §841 for narcotics, 18 U.S.C. §924 for firearms, 18 U.S.C. §371 for conspiracy, or 18 U.S.C. §1343 for wire fraud. Each one has teeth measured not in months, but decades.

At Spodek Law Group – we get it. We've spent over 50 combined years handling cases just like yours. We’ve defended clients in every circuit, coast to coast, and we don’t forget who we work for. Not the judge. Not the government. Only YOU.

Why Federal Charges in New Orleans Are Different

Here’s the truth. State court might hit you with probation, rehab, or a couple years in Orleans Parish Prison. Federal court doesn’t run that way at all. Here, guidelines under the United States Sentencing Commission drive punishment. Judges like Chief Judge Sarah Vance, Judge Ivan Lemelle, Judge Jay Zainey – they see hundreds of federal indictments every year. You walk into that courtroom, the government is quoting mandatory minimums: five years, ten years, sometimes life. And they mean it.

And remember, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans doesn’t guess. They don’t throw darts. They send the FBI agents into your bank records, IRS agents into your taxes, DEA surveillance on your movements, ATF digging into firearms – months of prep before they ever file a charge. By the time you get that target letter or indictment, they’re already ahead, sometimes miles ahead. Which means you have to move faster, harder, smarter – right now.

Common Federal Criminal Cases in the Eastern District of Louisiana

Look, you see it in the news every single week. Federal prosecutors in New Orleans are aggressive. In 2023, they brought down a multi-state drug trafficking ring under 21 U.S.C. §846 (conspiracy). In 2024, two men faced sentencing in connection with PPP loan fraud, the kind of white-collar scheme charged under §1344 (bank fraud) and §1341 (mail fraud). Then in the summer, a 22-year-old stood before Judge Vance and pled guilty to firearm and narcotics trafficking – his entire life derailed before it started. Doesn't matter if you’re 22 or 62. When the feds indict, age doesn’t save you.

Types of cases we defend:

• Drug trafficking and firearm cases: 21 U.S.C. §§841 and 846, stacked with 924(c) firearm counts, can turn a three-year case into 30 years overnight.
• Fraud and financial crimes: Wire fraud, bank fraud, PPP fraud, tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. §7201 – we’ve fought them all nationwide.
• Conspiracy indictments: The government loves conspiracy because it makes everyone guilty by association. No drugs in your hand? Doesn’t matter if they say you were in the deal.
• RICO and organized crime: 18 U.S.C. §1962 – powerful but broad, stretching to cover gangs, business owners, anyone the feds think are connected.
• Cybercrime: Hacking, cryptocurrency laundering, identity theft cases driven by the FBI Cyber Squad in Louisiana.

When do you hire a federal lawyer? Immediately. The second you even hear whisper of an investigation, you pick up the phone. Waiting is handing them your life on a platter.

How Federal Cases Move Through New Orleans Courts

I’ll be straight with you. These cases don’t crawl along like parish court. They move fast. Target letter. Indictment by grand jury. Arraignment at Hale Boggs Federal Building. Pretrial motions. Suppression hearing. Trial. Sentencing. Appeals. Each stage counts, and each stage can land you in a prison cell if not handled right. Judges like Lance Africk and Barry Ashe run efficient dockets – you need someone who knows that rhythm.

The DEA New Orleans Division has agents planting wiretaps, doing controlled buys, running undercover CI's. The FBI New Orleans Office has squads for everything from health care fraud to national security cases. ATF teams partner with NOPD for firearms stings. IRS-CI is ruthless in financial probes. All of them feed cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – and that's who you’re standing against. Every single word out of your mouth matters. And once you’re in custody, every mistake you make is magnified in federal court.

The Role of an Experienced Federal Defense Lawyer

What exactly do we do? We even the playing field. We disect discovery, line by line. We challenge every wiretap under Title III. We fight each search warrant under Rule 41. We file motions to suppress confessions, challenge indictments for legal flaws, negotiate directly with Assistant U.S. Attorneys who know we’re not scared to take it all the way to trial. And when trial comes, we build a strategy knowing jurors in New Orleans are hearing the government's story first every single time.

You might know about one of our most publicized matters. Netflix spotlighted Todd Spodek when he defended Anna Sorokin, a.k.a. Anna Delvey. That wasn’t just a case, it was a circus – headlines around the globe, media outside the courthouse, prosecutors itching for a win. Why mention this? Because if we can take on something that heavy, where the world is watching, we can take on your case here in New Orleans federal court. Pressure doesn't scare us – it fuels us.

The Stakes in Federal Defense – The Real Cost

Here’s what clients always ask: how much? And the answer is, it’s more than a state case, always. Because federal law is vast, complex, unforgiving, and defending it means time, staff, expertise. This isn’t a traffic ticket. This isn’t probation court in Jefferson Parish. This is federal prison time, sentences stacked for conspiracy, money laundering, guns, drugs, tax evasion. When we tell you we put in the hours, it’s because each hour could mean the difference between your freedom – or 30 years behind razor wire.

The real question is, what’s the cost of NOT hiring the right team? Lose your career. Your family slips away. Your reputation destroyed before the world. Federal cases get reported – every conviction is a press release on the U.S. Attorney’s website. You can’t afford a mistake here. We protect all of that. We've handled cases that… look, the point is we win. Period.

Choosing the Best Federal Lawyer in New Orleans

So how do you make the choice? Here’s my advice. Don’t pick a lawyer who only tried DUI’s in Orleans Parish court. You need a lawyer who understands how federal evidence rules work, who knows the sentencing guidelines, who recognizes how to negotiate a downward departure or variance under §3553. You need someone who isn’t intimidated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys like the ones staffing the Eastern District of Louisiana. And importantly, you need a team who has walked into other districts across the country – Southern District of New York, Central District of California, Southern Texas – and walked out with wins.

That’s what sets Spodek Law Group apart. We don’t flinch. We don’t fold. We’ve been in New Orleans federal court – and we bring the same relentless energy we brought to high-profile cases broadcast on every news outlet. When it's your freedom at stake, you deserve that level of intensity.

Protect Your Future – Call Today

Every federal case starts the same: quiet surveillance, sealed warrants, months of agents recording, tapping, digging. When your name surfaces, it’s already been a file in their cabinet for a year or two. You walk into the courthouse already behind. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fight back. With the right strategy, the right arguments, the right motions – you shift the balance. You catch up. You even win. We’ve seen it.

If you’re facing charges in New Orleans – drug trafficking, §846 conspiracy, §1343 wire fraud, firearms under §924 – call us. Don’t talk to agents. Don’t plead out of fear. Don’t wait. Waiting makes it worse. Spodek Law Group fights for YOU, only you, no one else. We mean that. We owe loyalty to one person: our client.

Call today. Protect your freedom, your family, your future. We’re ready for your case – are you?