If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you’re trying to figure out who is actually capable of saving your life. At Spodek Law Group – we understand exactly what that means, and we don’t take it lightly. Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Oklahoma have endless resources at their disposal. They’ve got the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspectors – entire agencies with investigators, wiretap teams, surveillance squads, accountants who live and breathe numbers – and all of them are pointed directly at you. Our job, our only job, is to stand in front of you and stop them from wrecking your future, your money, your family.

I’ll be straight with you: this is not state court. You're not walking into Oklahoma County worrying about misdemeanors or some probation deal. You're walking into the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma – downtown Oklahoma City, the federal courthouse on NW 4th Street. That's a whole different world. Federal sentencing guidelines run the show. Judges follow them closely, and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys pushing for indictments aren't playing games. Just last year, Trayveon Ramon Caldwell, from here in Oklahoma City, was given 72 months for a firearm charge. That’s six years gone. No parole. Federal time is day-for-day, 85 percent served, minimum. There's no backdoor fix once you’re sentenced. Another guy, Donald Eugene Cooks, caught a 92 month term for mail theft conspiracy. These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re neighbors, they're people from right here – and they’re doing close to a decade over a case that on the state level might’ve been a slap.

Understanding Federal vs. State Charges in Oklahoma

Most defendants make the mistake of thinking federal court “feels” like state court. It doesn’t. State charges are handled by Oklahoma County DAs. Federal cases? They’re run by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They come with mandatory minimums, insane conspiracy statutes that let them rope in ten people for the acts of one, and aggressive prosecutors who live to build careers off convictions. If you’re wondering “should I get a lawyer for a federal case?” the answer is obvious. Yes, you need one. And not just any lawyer – you need someone who knows Title 18 backward and forward. Someone who’s argued 21 U.S.C. § 841 narcotics cases, fought 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) gun charges, handled major fraud indictments under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341+1343. If your lawyer doesn’t fluidly know those numbers, walk out of that office.

We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. We know these codes, these statutes, inside and out. Without that knowledge, you’re sitting there like target practice, like a sitting duck waiting for sentencing to hammer down.

Federal Enforcement Patterns in Oklahoma City

People underestimate how many task forces operate right here. Operation Sonic Boom alone hit 50 people in Oklahoma City with guns-and-drugs indictments. Those weren’t “street-level” busts either – they were coordinated federal takedowns by the DEA, FBI, ATF, and Oklahoma City PD working together. Multi-agency, multi-defendant, conspiracy driven. That’s the model. You’ll also see IRS-CI agents quietly in the background when a case involves money, tax issues, or fraud. Homeland Security Investigations runs stings on online cases. The machinery is massive – and it can turn on full blast fast. one morning knock at your apartment door, agents with windbreakers, search warrants waved in your face. That’s how most federal cases begin. And it’s terrifying because the odds are stacked from the start.

Marcus Lamar Richardson, from Chickasha, was given 120 months – ten years flat – on a trafficking indictment. That’s the sentencing culture here. Decade terms are considered “normal” if you’re indicted on drugs plus guns. And prosecutors *know* it – they leverage those penalties in plea negotiations constantly. If you’ve got a 10-year minimum, they say “take this plea or risk 20.” That’s not intimidation. That’s the actual math of the sentencing guidelines.

Common Federal Charges in Oklahoma City

• Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy – Under 21 U.S.C. § 846, conspiracy doesn’t require drugs in your pocket. All it takes is an agreement, or sometimes just alleged association. That makes it broad, vague, and dangerous. Penalties often start at 10 years if certain drug quantities are alleged.
• White Collar & Fraud Cases – Mail and wire fraud fall under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343. Those carry 20 years per count. Bank fraud is 18 U.S.C. § 1344. Healthcare fraud gets the attention of HHS-OIG and FBI task forces. These are not “paper only” cases – they send people to prison as much as drugs do.
• Firearm Offenses – The most common charge: 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), felon in possession of a firearm. Doesn’t matter if it was in the trunk of a car or even an unloaded pistol in a drawer – they love this charge. Bring in 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), which tacks on *mandatory minimums* if the firearm is connected to a drug case, and suddenly you’re looking at an extra five years consecutive, sometimes more.
• Child Exploitation/Computer Crimes – Homeland Security and the FBI’s Cyber Task Force pursue these aggressively. The penalties are brutal, mandatory minimums start at 5, 10, 15 years depending on charge. These cases are handled behind closed doors, and judges in Oklahoma federal court leave no room for error.

An Oklahoma City federal lawyer can’t just “show up” and argue. You’ve got to survive detention hearings, argue over enhancements like “sophisticated means” or “role in the offense,” navigate sentencing commissions guidelines, and find mitigating evidence the court will actually consider. This is survival – plain and simple.

Navigating the Federal Court Process in Oklahoma City

The U.S. Attorney’s Office here runs the show. Agents build cases, bring evidence to the grand jury, and indictments drop. At your first appearance/arraignment, bail is rarely like state court – it’s harsh, often denied. Then you move through discovery, plea talks, motions practice – all on tight federal deadlines. This courthouse doesn’t cut you slack. Judges here use the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines calculation as their baseline. They add up your enhancements: firearm, leadership role, obstruction, loss amounts, drug weights. Each number stacks against you.

But here’s the thing: downward departures exist – variances are possible – and we know how to argue for them. We’ve dissected probation officer pre-sentence reports, we’ve pushed back against the government trying to apply enhancements that don’t fit. The difference between offense level 28 and offense level 32 can mean *years*. And those years? That’s your life. That’s birthdays, holidays, moments you don’t get back. A lawyer who doesn’t fight on these levels leaves you paying the price.

Cost & Value of Federal Defense in Oklahoma City

People always ask, “how much is this going to cost me?” And the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. A single defendant, 922(g) firearm case may be one stage of work. A multi-million-dollar wire fraud conspiracy, alleging losses, multiple expert witnesses, forensic accounting, electronic discovery – that’s another beast entirely. But the real question isn’t how much does it cost – it’s how much will prison cost you? Ten years of your life, gone. Twenty, thirty, sometimes fifty years. That’s the price of walking in with the wrong lawyer. Legal fees sting – but not compared to federal prison.

What is a federal lawyer called? Some say “federal criminal defense attorney,” some say “trial lawyer licensed in the U.S. District Court.” Titles don’t matter, results do. And we deliver. We fight here in the Western District of Oklahoma, and across the country, every single week.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group

We don’t just dabble in federal work. It’s our bread and butter. We're the firm that Netflix decided to showcase worldwide – with Anna Delvey, aka Anna Sorokin. That wasn’t just a case, it was front-page international litigation, media circus, federal-state complexity, and Todd Spodek handled it with the world watching. If that doesn’t prove how we thrive under pressure, what will?

Our Oklahoma City team isn’t just “good.” We’re battle-tested. With over 50 years of combined experience in federal courtrooms, we know the personalities of the AUSAs, the tendencies of the judges, the quirks of Pretrial Services officers. We know what works here. That’s invaluable. And when you hire us, you hire a law firm that gets it. Period. Every decision we make – from early investigation strategy to sentencing argument – revolves around your survival. No loyalty to anyone else. Just you. All-in, every time.

Sometimes that means intervening pre-indictment, reaching out delicately with prosecutors to stop charges before they’re filed. Sometimes that means pushing for favorable plea terms that shave years off. And if necessary, it means walking into trial juiced up, aggressive, relentless, willing to burn down the government’s story piece by piece in front of a jury. Our 360° defense approach examines everything – your past, your present, your future exposure, sentencing ranges, family situations – and we use it all. Every single angle matters, and we fight every single one of them.

Call to Action — Protect Yourself Right Now

If federal agents have approached you – FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Postal Inspectors, doesn’t matter – stop talking immediately. Do not give statements, do not think you’re “explaining away” the situation. They’re already building their case. Every second you wait, they’re writing reports, running grand juries, setting you up. You need a federal criminal lawyer in Oklahoma City who steps in immediately to shield you from exposure.

We’re here. Local, accessible, emergency consultations available anytime – because federal cases don’t happen on business hours. Whether it’s six months, six years, or fifty years on the line – every step matters. We will be blunt, sometimes brutally honest, but always transparent. And always loyal to you, not the system. That’s our promise at Spodek Law Group.

Contact us now. Don’t wait until it’s too late. The government is already moving – it’s time you had a team that can hit back just as hard.