Federal Crimes

What is a federal crime?

Federal crimes are violations of laws that are passed by the United States Congress. Due to the doctrine of duel sovereignty, there can be a lot of overlap between State and Federal Crimes. The federal crimes prosecuted in the Southern District of Ohio typically involve larger amounts of contraband, multiple jurisdictions, and/or specific federal regulations or statutes. Typically, federal crimes are investigated by federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Department of Homeland Security or Secret Service. More recently, multi-jurisdictional task forces, utilizing local police agencies, have been formed to funnel cases into the federal system. In federal court, the penalties can be much more severe. Once a person is charged with a federal crime, he/she will be prosecuted by a US Attorney.

Successful representation of federal defendants not only involves the ability to evaluate and to litigate cases in the courtroom, it also requires an in-depth understanding and command of the federal sentencing guidelines.

Frequently Committed Federal Crimes

Federal crimes that are frequently committed are: white collar crimes, drug trafficking, internet fraud, internet pornography, kidnapping, terrorist threats, bank robbery, drug smuggling, mail fraud, bribery of public officials, and interstate crime.

Ohio Federal Crime Legal Penalties

Once a person is convicted a federal crime, he/she may be punished with:
Imprisonment
Restitution
Large fines
Community service
Probation
Parole
Court ordered counseling

If the defendant has a prior criminal offense on his/her record, he/she may be subject to enhanced criminal charges and sentencing if convicted. Due to the life-altering legal consequences that are involved, it is always in a person’s best interest to obtain the services of a criminal defense attorney who has the legal background and knowledge it takes to successfully fight federal crime charges. Federal charges must always be taken very seriously, as the sentencing guidelines for federal crimes are more severe than state issued guidelines. By working with a skilled federal defense lawyer from the beginning, defendants stand a better chance of being successful in court.