Florida Federal Crime Attorneys
The federal government has numerous agencies devoted to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal criminal statutes – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Attorney’s Office, and many others.
Compared to the budgets of local Florida police departments, the U.S. government seems to have unlimited financial resources that they use to hire thousands of Special Agents, conduct surveillance and wiretaps and undercover stings, and spend months or years building enormous cases that sweep up dozens or hundreds of people in their nets. Federal criminal statutes can be incredibly lengthy and highly technical, making it easy for prosecutors to charge crimes and difficult for the accused to mount a defense.
Punishments under the federal sentencing guidelines can land a convicted defendant in a federal penitentiary for 30 years while getting slapped with $250,000 in fines. The federal government orders restitution for financial crimes, and for drug crimes and other matters, they zealously enforce asset seizure and forfeiture laws, taking cars, boats, jewelry and cash to line their coffers and start new cases against other individuals.
If you’ve been arrested for a federal crime, you need the help of skilled and experienced Florida federal crime attorneys who are knowledgeable about federal criminal laws, the federal court system, and dealing with federal officers and government agencies. Meldon Law is a Florida law firm with a strong focus on criminal defense and nearly 100 years of combined legal experience trying cases for plaintiffs and defendants. Our attorneys have backgrounds ranging from the Public Defender to the State Attorneys office. We’ve experience both prosecuting and defending people charged with crimes, so we know all the angles, strategies and procedures to provide a solid defense. If you are facing federal criminal charges in Florida, Meldon Law will fight for you and won’t back down.
Call Meldon Law for advice and representation concerning any federal criminal law matter, including:
- Federal Drug Charges
- Fraud and White-Collar Crimes
- Computer and Internet Crimes
- Sex and Pornography Crimes
- Firearms and Weapons Offenses
- Bank Robbery
- Corruption and Bribery
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy
Talking to the Feds
Federal agents often take months conducting an investigation and piling up mounds of evidence before they take the case to a grand jury for an indictment. At any time during this process, you may be approached by federal officers with a request for an interview or to provide them with documents, records and other information. Should you comply? Must you?
If federal agents approach you and want to ask you questions, you can ask for their card and let them know your attorney will get in touch with them. Afraid this will make you look suspicious? If federal agents want to talk to you, either they already suspect you of criminal activity or they believe you have information that could help them in their investigation. Either way, you are perfectly within your rights to talk to an attorney before you talk to the feds, and asserting that right shouldn’t make a difference in the government’s investigation.
If you receive a target letter asking you to testify before a grand jury or come to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for an interview, call Meldon Law before responding. The target letter might even suggest you have your attorney call them. Federal agents are used to dealing with defense attorneys and understand their place in the justice system.
The danger of talking to the feds without representation is a federal statute found at 18 USC 1001. This law makes it a crime punishable by up to five or eight years in prison to knowingly and willfully make any materially false or fraudulent statement or representation on any matter within the jurisdiction of the United States. You might not intentionally lie to federal officers, but remember that these agents are specially trained in interrogation techniques. They would love to trip you up during an interview and catch you making inconsistent or inaccurate statements so they can hang a charge over you of lying to a federal officer. With this charge over your head, they’ll coerce you into further cooperation or pleading guilty to some other offense even if the government doesn’t have a strong case against you.
Talk first to an experienced criminal defense attorney who can advise you on how to handle a proposed interview with the feds. Your attorney might negotiate immunity for you in exchange for your testimony, attend an interview with you, or advise you not to make any statements. Whatever is coming, an experienced criminal defense attorney at Meldon Law can help ensure you are in the best position for a positive outcome.
Call Meldon Law to speak with a Florida Federal Crime Attorney
If you are being investigated by federal authorities or if you have been arrested and charged with a federal crime in Florida, call Meldon Law at 800-373-8000 to get sound, practical legal advice to protect your rights and help you get the best result.
