If you're on our website, it's because you’re staring down a federal indictment – maybe you already got that target letter, maybe FBI agents knocked on your door, or maybe you just feel that pit in your stomach because you know you’re under investigation. Whatever the reason, you’re here because you need federal defense lawyers who operate at the highest level, because federal court is a different universe. This isn’t state court, this isn’t traffic tickets, this isn’t local D.A. politics. These are U.S. Attorneys, backed by FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, all moving together, using statutes like 18 U.S.C. §1343 (wire fraud), §841 (drug distribution), §922(g) (felon in possession of a firearm), §1951 (Hobbs Act robbery), and §371 (conspiracy). This is life-changing stuff. You need a law firm that gets it.

And let’s be completely honest about it – the government has endless resources, teams of agents, labs, cooperating witnesses, sealed indictments, grand juries. They aren’t motivated by fairness, they’re motivated by numbers and convictions. We? We only work for you. That’s the difference. Our law group, led by Todd Spodek, is known nationally, not just because of the Anna Delvey Netflix case that blew up in the media, but because when the spotlight is on and the pressure is suffocating, we don’t crack. We keep fighting.

The Extreme Stakes of Federal Charges in Pennsylvania

Federal cases don’t just bring prison terms – they bring real devastation. Families torn apart, reputations erased overnight, bank accounts frozen. In Pennsylvania in 2024 alone, the Middle District saw a sharp surge in conspiracy indictments tied to fentanyl distribution under §846, and the Western District pumped out indictments for violent crime conspiracies with stacked §924(c) firearm enhancements. Judges aren’t handing out slaps on the wrist. They’re following the Guidelines, with limited departures. It’s brutal.

Look – one defendant in Pittsburgh was sentenced to 15 years for a conspiracy charge. 15 years. Not for murder. For conspiracy. That’s what happens under federal law, because the conspiracy statute allows prosecutors to pull you in for actions of others you barely know—even folks you’ve never met—and hold you accountable. The government loves conspiracy charges because it multiplies exposure. We fight that head on.

Even a single felony indictment can destroy a career permanently. Your license, your business, your name, all evaporate. You need someone who lives and breathes these battles every single day, who can see the angles most attorneys miss. This isn’t theoretical for us. We’ve done it in courtrooms from Philadelphia to Scranton to Pittsburgh.

Federal vs State Prosecutions in Pennsylvania

I’ll be straight with you – federal court is not something you "dabble" in as a defense lawyer. State cases are cops, local DAs, sometimes sloppy evidence. Federal investigations? They can take years. They’ll use Title III wiretaps, controlled buys with confidential informants, financial audits of your bank records. They’ll run surveillance for months. And when they indict you in one of the three federal districts in PA, they come loaded with agents from FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, ATF, sometimes even Homeland Security, all inside the same conspiracy case. That’s why people retain us – because you need a law firm that gets it, all of it.

In Pennsylvania, here’s the layout of power: Eastern District of PA, headquartered in Philadelphia, running major healthcare fraud and insider trading indictments under §1347 and §1348. Middle District, with its strong DEA presence, hammering §841 and §846 drug conspiracies with wiretap evidence. Western District, anchored in Pittsburgh, heavy on §922(g) felon-in-possession cases, RICO prosecutions, organized gangs. Every district has different judges, different jury pools, and unique internal policies shaped by each U.S. Attorney. We know the different landscapes—we’ve navigated them all. Strategy shifts with geography.

Federal Court Landscape in Pennsylvania

• Eastern District of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown. Major white-collar hub. Indictments under securities laws, tax violations (26 U.S.C. §7201 tax evasion, §7206 false returns). High-level financial crimes prosecuted with IRS-CI, FBI, SEC alongside U.S. Attorneys.
• Middle District of Pennsylvania – Scranton, Harrisburg, Williamsport. Aggressive on meth, fentanyl, heroin conspiracies. Prosecutions often built with wiretap evidence under §2518, using confidential sources. DEA leads here, CI work dominates, big conspiracy sweeps.
• Western District of Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh, Erie, Johnstown. Known for prosecuting firearm statutes like §922(g), §924(c). Heavy ATF involvement. Joint gang task forces with FBI. Organized crime and violent RICO matters common here.

The differences matter, immensely. The judge you draw matters, the prosecutor’s office culture matters, the jury pool matters. That’s what inexperienced lawyers miss. We don’t.

Common Federal Charges We Handle in PA

• Conspiracy Charges (§371, §846, RICO) – Prosecutors will lump 10, 20 or 30 people together, and you’re on the hook for what everyone did. We dismantle this tactic one by one.
• Drug Distribution & Trafficking (§841, §846) – Mandatory 10-year minimums turn into life when weights pile up. The DEA makes career cases out of these; we fight suppression, challenge CIs, attack lab conclusions, and tear apart wiretap affidavits.
• White Collar Indictments – Wire fraud (§1343), mail fraud (§1341), bank fraud (§1344), healthcare fraud (§1347). These cases destroy professionals—doctors, CEOs, accountants. Loss calculations drive sentences, so we battle forensic accountants with our own experts and fight enhancements under §2B1.1.
• Weapons/Violent Crimes – Felon in possession (§922(g)), mandatory enhancements under §924(c), assault of federal officers (§111). ATF and FBI joint task forces love big press releases. We counter with constitutional arguments, Fourth Amendment challenges, jury nullification conversations.
• Tax/Fraud Schemes – IRS-CI prosecutions for §7201 tax evasion, §7206 false returns. Complex white collar cases require serious forensic defense and deep understanding of federal sentencing tables.

Here's what really happens: respected people, professionals, fathers, mothers – they get dragged into federal court, and without real defense, prosecutors try to make examples out of them. It’s devastating.

Questions Real People Ask

How much will a federal case cost me?

There isn’t a price tag you can Google. Fees are tied to discovery volume, number of defendants, trial length, whether we’re doing suppression fights or a four-week white collar trial. But here’s the blunt truth: skimping here means risking decades in prison, sometimes your life. It’s not about how cheap a lawyer is, it’s about how effective. We put in hundreds of hours because that’s what it takes.

Do I really need a lawyer if I’m innocent?

Absolutely. Innocent people get convicted every day in federal court because federal prosecutors don’t bring weak cases, they stack them. Innocence isn’t enough. You need lawyers who know how to dismantle the government narrative piece by piece, and we’ve done it repeatedly.

What’s a “federal criminal attorney” anyway?

It’s counsel admitted in federal court, who defends indictments brought by U.S. Attorneys. In Pennsylvania, that means admitted in Eastern, Middle, or Western District courts, and ideally admitted to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. That’s the lane we live in, day in day out.

How long do federal cases really take?

Longer than you think. Months, often years. Pre-indictment investigations can run for two years, indictments drag to trial over 12–24 months. Which means patience, persistence, and constant strategy. We don’t fold, we keep pressure on until the end, whether it’s at trial, through motions, or during sentencing.

Our Federal Defense Strategy

If you call us early, before indictment, that’s the best time. Pre-indictment work can mean presenting evidence to prosecutors, negotiating for no-charge resolutions, making sure your voice is heard inside a secret grand jury process where defendants normally have none. Once indicted, we shift gears and file aggressive pre-trial motions: wiretap suppression, Franks hearings challenging warrant affidavits, motions to sever, motions to dismiss. And at trial – our team knows evidentiary rules cold. It’s cross-examining cooperating witnesses who’ve cut deals, it’s attacking credibility, it’s exposing mistakes by federal agents. Even after conviction, we pivot into sentencing mitigation, gathering character letters, presenting psychological reports, employment history, working for downward departures under §5K2.0 and variance arguments under Booker.

• Pre-Indictment – negotiate with prosecutors, sometimes avoiding charges entirely.
• Pre-Trial Motions – suppression of electronic surveillance, challenging CI credibility, 4th Amendment violations.
• Trial Work – jury selection strategy, expert witnesses, cross-exams that expose lies.
• Sentencing Advocacy – arguing for variances, using the defendant’s entire history and circumstances to humanize them before the judge.

We’ve handled cases that... look, the point is we win. And even when winning outright isn’t possible, we protect what matters – years of your life, your family, your future. That’s no small thing.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group?

Because we’re different. Other lawyers moonlight in federal court once in awhile—then get steamrolled. We have over 50 years combined experience in federal defense. Our team is battle-tested. We’ve stood in front of judges in Philadelphia, in Harrisburg, in Pittsburgh federal courtrooms, with prosecutors demanding decades of prison time, and walked out protecting our clients. We’ve taken on the most high-profile cases, and we fight every single case with the same intensity, whether it’s a fraud indictment, a violent crime charge, or a giant drug conspiracy. Period.

Spodek Law Group owes loyalty to only one person: you. Not to judges, not to prosecutors, not to the press. Just you. That’s why we’re considered one of the top rated federal defense firms nationwide.

Protect Your Future Now

If you think agents are circling, if you’ve been contacted for an interview, if you’ve been indicted – time is critical. Federal prosecutors are building case files every day, every surveillance log, every email pulled, every phone call tapped. Don’t wait until arraignment. The fight begins now.

Schedule a private consultation with a Pennsylvania federal lawyer at Spodek Law Group today. Don’t let a federal indictment write the story of your future. We will fight to protect you, your name, your family. Call us now.