If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges — and you already know, deep down, that everything in your life could change. We don't sugarcoat. At Spodek Law Group, we’ve made our careers fighting the toughest federal prosecutions in New York City. These cases aren't like state misdemeanors. They're investigations that span years, sometimes decades, with U.S. Attorneys backed by entire agencies. We’ve been in those trenches before, and every single one of us understands the stakes.

Why Federal Charges in NYC Are Different

Federal charges aren’t routine, and federal judges don’t give second chances lightly. You’re not up against a local Assistant District Attorney who just graduated law school, you’re up against career federal prosecutors who are relentless. They pull statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (Money Laundering), 21 U.S.C. § 841 (Controlled Substances), and 18 U.S.C. § 1962 (RICO). Judges in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York know these statutes by heart, and they know how to use the guidelines to hammer defendants with decades behind bars.

If you think federal sentencing is something you can negotiate around casually, you’re already making a mistake. Mandatory minimums. Forfeiture. Supervised release. These aren’t just words in the U.S. Code — they’re realities we’ve watched clients face. And sometimes, the only thing standing between you and 20+ years in prison is the strategy your lawyer builds from Day 1.

Real Federal Stories Out of New York

Look at the headlines. In SDNY you’ve got indictments involving Wall Street insiders accused of insider trading and securities fraud. In EDNY you’ve got cartel-level narcotics conspiracies and racketeering cases. Eleven Bronx WashSide gang members sentenced to decades — absolute decades — because prosecutors weaved together surveillance, phone taps, informants, and federal conspiracy statutes to destroy them in court. In Manhattan, five men tied to the Diamond District were accused of channeling over $600 million through unlicensed transactions. That's not policing petty crime, that’s the U.S. Government flexing its muscle over entire industries.

We've handled cases that... look, the point is we win. We’ve been on the national stage, defending Anna Sorokin (Anna Delvey) when her trial became a global Netflix story. That case wasn’t just about fraud, it was about controlling a narrative, managing jurors under the weight of media frenzy, and fighting a prosecution playing to cameras as much as the courtroom. We didn’t fold. We fought — and everyone saw it.

Difference Between State and Federal Prosecution in NYC

Here’s what really happens: State DAs like manhattan or Queens will bring routine drug cases or assaults, sure. But when your case triggers federal jurisdiction? When the U.S. Attorney’s Office gets its hooks in? Everything changes. Federal courthouse in Manhattan (SDNY, 500 Pearl Street). Federal courthouse in Brooklyn (EDNY, Cadman Plaza). Judges who don’t buy excuses, probation officers who write pre-sentence reports with zero sympathy, and federal sentencing tables that can sponge years off your life with one calculation error by the court.

- State charges: Possession, fights, DUIs - Federal charges: multi-million dollar fraud, vast conspiracy, terrorism, laundering - Federal procedures: grand jury indictments, bail hearings that favor detention, complex motions practice

Hire a law firm that gets it. That means lawyers who know the Assistant U.S. Attorneys personally, who know which judges tend to deviate from guidelines, who know when cooperation can help, and when the government’s "offer" is just a setup to bury you deeper.

Agencies We See Every Day

Federal cases in New York City almost always bring with them the alphabet soup. FBI agents with search warrants served at dawn. DEA task forces intercepting drug loads at the George Washington Bridge. IRS-CI accountants combing through your bank statements line by line, ready to testify. ATF investigators tracking firearms tied to gang indictments. And when you think you’re just up against one agency, they tag-team you. Multi-agency task forces. National security units. Cybercrime squads. That’s the reality here.

Types of Federal Cases We Defend

Drug & RICO Conspiracies

Narcotics conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846 is a favorite of prosecutors — they don’t need to prove you sold anything personally, just that you were part of the conspiracy. Same with RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations). You don’t even need to touch the drugs to be on the hook. Conspiracy cases bring 20 years, sometimes life, because the law bends in the government’s favor.

White Collar Crimes

Wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud. In Manhattan, on Wall Street, those statutes are pulled constantly. 18 U.S.C. § 1349 makes conspiracy to commit fraud just as punishable as fraud itself. You think a few wire transfers can be explained away, but federal prosecutors will map every bank account, every Zoom call, every email server. They subpoena everything. And the jury won’t care if you “didn’t mean to.”

Money Laundering

Under 18 U.S.C. § 1956 and § 1957, every move of money risks becoming a federal count. If your business handled cash, if you transferred money abroad, if you used shell accounts—expect prosecutors to frame it as laundering. Those Diamond District arrests were a loud message: the feds are watching industries that thought they were untouchable.

Public Corruption and Bribery

SDNY loves nothing more than a corruption case. Why? Because The New York Times prints it the next day. Contractors accused of bribing, politicians accused of skimming. The plea deals are brutal, because prosecutors know defendants fear trial in that spotlight. We've stood in those cases. We don't fear headlines, we control them.

Enforcement Trends in SDNY and EDNY

In the past few years we’ve watched trends shift. Cyber fraud and crypto prosecutions are climbing rapidly out of SDNY, while EDNY keeps hammering drug conspiracies linked to organized crime. But the constant is harshness. The press conferences after indictment, the press releases quoting FBI Assistant Directors bragging about dismantling organizations. They frame defendants as criminals long before trial even begins, poisoning the entire atmosphere.

That’s why you need us. We don’t just fight in court. We protect narrative. In Anna Delvey’s trial, we worked inside and outside the courtroom. In federal practice, you either control the story or you get buried by it.

The Federal Court Process: What We Prepare For

Here’s the reality of federal criminal procedure in NYC:

• Long investigations, sometimes years — you won’t know until they’re ready to arrest.
• Indictments usually sealed until the day of arrest — U.S. Marshals at your door 6 a.m.
• Bail: stricter than state, detention is default in narcotics/firearms conspiracies.
• Discovery: terabytes of data, surveillance, wire taps, CIs (confidential informants).
• Motions: suppression, dismissal, severance — critical but difficult.
• Trial: juries in Manhattan or Brooklyn drawn right from New York — you need to know your jurors.
• Sentencing: guidelines, mandatory minimums, enhancements for leadership roles, weapons, obstruction.

Most lawyers wait until indictment to build defense. Not us. From the first phone call we prepare discovery strategy, trial themes, sentencing mitigation, and yes, cooperation analysis if necessary. We don’t waste months hoping the government will lighten up — they don’t.

Cost of Federal Defense

I’ll be straight with you. Federal retainers are expensive. Tens of thousands, sometimes more depending on volume of evidence. We’ve seen federal discovery coming in hard drives, not boxes. Can a lawyer "do it cheaper"? Sure. But are you okay having your life in the hands of a bargain lawyer? Federal is survival, not discount shopping. The cost is high because the stakes are absolute — your freedom, your future, your family. That’s the truth.

Do You Really Need a Lawyer?

Yes. Don’t ask again. This is not traffic court. Federal prosecutors use FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, DHS, CIA if needed, every agency with unlimited money. If you walk into SDNY alone or with an inexperienced lawyer, it’s suicide. You’ll end up in prison writing letters about how you should’ve hired a firm like ours. We’ve been there. We’ve gone toe to toe with government attorneys in cases covered nationally and worldwide. And we don’t flinch.

Spodek Law Group: Federal Criminal Lawyers in NYC

We are Spodek Law Group. We are the firm people call when the stakes are national. Our loyalty is only to you. Not the press, not the prosecutors, not anyone else. We’ve been in high-profile trials like Anna Delvey’s, we’ve defended executives, gang leaders, tech entrepreneurs, doctors – under fire from federal prosecutors and public media opinion all at once.

Some cases are about evidence, others about narrative. We defend both. We protect reputation even as we fight indictment. We know the prosecutors in SDNY on Worth Street, we know the judges in EDNY on Cadman Plaza. We know when to push trial, when to negotiate, when every option must be on the table.

Take Action Now

The U.S. Attorneys don’t wait. They’re adding evidence as you read this. They won’t forget. They don’t move slow. And once their indictment is filed, bargaining power shrinks to almost nothing. If you’re already indicted, call us immediately. If you sense you’re under investigation — call us before indictment. Every day matters.

We don’t promise miracles, we promise fight. Fight in the courtroom, fight in the press (when necessary), and fight in strategy rooms until we find a way forward. That’s how we’ve built our reputation. That’s why people say we’re a rock star team. That’s why clients with everything to lose rely on Spodek Law Group.

Protect your future in federal court. Call Spodek Law Group now.