What is a Federal Crime?

Federal crimes are offenses that are considered violations of United States federal law, which is established by the U.S. Congress and enforced by federal law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), among others. These crimes are distinct from state crimes, which are violations of state laws.

Federal crimes cover a wide range of activities that impact the federal government or involve federal jurisdiction. These crimes will be tried in Federal Court in a Federal Criminal Trial. Some common examples of federal crimes include:

• Drug Crimes: Manufacturing, distributing, or possessing controlled substances with the intent to sell them across state lines or internationally.
• Aggravated Assault Crimes: Involves intentionally causing bodily injury to another person with a dangerous weapon or with the intent to cause serious bodily harm.
• White-Collar Crimes: Committing non-violent offenses such as embezzlement, insider trading, antitrust violations, or public corruption that impact federal interests.
• Gun Crimes: Violating federal laws related to the possession, sale, or transportation of firearms, explosives, or other weapons across state lines.
• Manslaughter Crimes: Involves unlawfully causing the death of another person without malice or forethought.
• Sex Crimes: Related to sexual conduct that falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government in the United States.
• Internet and Computer Crimes: The use of technology to carry out various illicit activities, often with the intent to gain unauthorized access, cause damage, commit fraud, or violate laws related to intellectual property, national security, or privacy.
• Child Pornography: The knowing and intentional creation, distribution, possession, or viewing of child pornography.
• Fraud: Engaging in various fraudulent activities such as mail fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud, healthcare fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, or identity theft that impact federal institutions or cross state lines.
• Cybercrime: Committing offenses such as hacking, identity theft, computer fraud, or engaging in cyber-related activities that affect federal computer systems, critical infrastructure, or national security.
• Tax Evasion: Tax evasion involves the deliberate manipulation, concealment, or misrepresentation of financial information to reduce or eliminate tax liability.
• Money Laundering: Concealing the origins of illegally obtained money through complex financial transactions to make it appear legitimate.
• Terrorism: Engaging in acts of terrorism, including planning, financing, or carrying out attacks that target U.S. citizens, government entities, or infrastructure.
• Immigration Offenses: Committing crimes related to illegal immigration, such as human trafficking, smuggling, or entering the country without proper authorization.
• Federal Bank Fraud, Mail Fraud, and Wire Fraud: Bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud are all types of financial crimes that involve deceptive practices to defraud individuals, organizations, or financial institutions.
• Counterfeiting: Creating, distributing, or possessing counterfeit currency, documents, or goods that infringe on federally protected trademarks.
• Racketeering: Engaging in organized criminal activities such as extortion, money laundering, or bribery through an enterprise that operates across state lines.
• Embezzlement: Criminal acts involving the misappropriation or theft of funds or property entrusted to someone’s care, who is a federal employee or is associated with a federal agency or program.
• Conspiracy: Conspiracy crimes refer to offenses that involve a criminal agreement or plan between two or more individuals to commit an unlawful act.
• Federal Trade Secret Theft: Federal trade secret theft crimes refer to the illegal acquisition, use, or disclosure of trade secrets protected by federal laws in the United States.
• Insider Trading: Engaging in illegal activities related to the buying or selling of securities (such as stocks, bonds, or options) based on material nonpublic information obtained from a company or organization.
• Healthcare Fraud Crimes: Healthcare fraud crimes refer to illegal activities that involve deceit, misrepresentation, or manipulation in the healthcare industry to gain financial benefits or advantages.
• Medicare Fraud Charges: Medicare fraud involves intentionally deceiving or misrepresenting information to obtain payment from the Medicare program illegally.
• Mortgage Fraud: Federal mortgage fraud refers to illegal activities related to obtaining or maintaining a mortgage loan through deceptive or fraudulent means.
• Bankruptcy Fraud: Bankruptcy fraud refers to the act of deliberately and dishonestly concealing, transferring or misrepresenting assets or financial information in order to manipulate the bankruptcy process for personal gain or to defraud creditors.
• Federal Grand Jury Representation: Federal Grand Jury representation refers to the legal representation provided to individuals who are called to testify or provide evidence before a federal grand jury.
• Federal International extradition charges: The legal process by which one country requests the surrender of an individual located in another country for the purpose of facing criminal charges or serving a sentence.
• Federal Criminal Appeals: A Federal Criminal Appeal refers to the process of challenging a conviction or a sentence in a federal criminal case before a higher court.

These are just a few examples, and there are numerous other federal crimes specified under various federal statutes. Penalties for federal crimes can include fines, imprisonment, or a combination of both, depending on the severity of the offense.

Experienced Federal Defense Lawyers

Federal criminal practice requires knowledge of a completely different set of evidentiary rules, criminal procedure rules, and a radically different and highly complex sentencing scheme involving the federal sentencing guidelines. Criminal defense lawyer Marc J. Victor has been successfully representing people accused of federal crimes in federal court for over 25 years. During that time, Marc J. Victor has accumulated valuable experience representing clients in federal court who were charged with serious and complex white-collar crimes involving allegations of conspiracy and fraud. Additionally, Marc J. Victor has successfully represented many clients in federal court accused of conspiracy to commit various drug-related and money laundering offenses.

Representing people charged with federal crimes in federal court is very different than representing people charged in state court. Most criminal defense lawyers either are not licensed to go to federal court or have no experience representing people charged with federal crimes in federal court.

Our Experience Defending Federal Crimes Include:

• Over 25 years of experience defending people charged with federal felony offenses in federal court.
• Specific and substantial experience with complex federal white-collar crimes, fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and serious drug-related offenses.
• Current and up-to-date on evolving areas of federal criminal law.
• National federal criminal law practice.
• Successfully represented people in federal appellate cases.
• Familiarity and experience with the federal sentencing guidelines and federal criminal procedure.
• Familiarity and experience with a wide variety of federal crimes; and
• 24/7/365 availability.

The same commitment to excellence and aggressive competent representation that is always provided by the law firm applies to all federal cases as well. Being charged with a federal criminal offense can be a life-changing experience. Relying on a criminal defense attorney who does not have experience specific to federal court could be disastrous. If you are charged with a federal felony offense or you are in need of a federal appeal, you can rest assured that the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm stands ready to assist with experienced, competent, and aggressive representation in all the federal courts.

To schedule a Strategy Session with a federal defense lawyer, contact the Attorneys for Freedom today or call our Arizona office at 480-755-7110 or Hawai’i office at 808-647-2423.