The first thing you need to do after you’ve been arrested for a federal crime, is to call a Cooley, Iuliano, Robey PLLC federal attorney at 859-636-6803. Each of our partners is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as the Kentucky Bar Association.
Our skilled federal defense attorneys are always prepared to do a full investigation and defend your case, all while protecting your rights from the prosecution while they pursue their federal case against you. Our federal law firm and federal attorneys are going to make certain that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is held to their burden of providing their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal Criminal Charges
A federal crime is when you break federal law and are prosecuted by any federal law enforcement institution like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration or even the Internal Revenue Service. When is a crime you commit in Kentucky a federal crime? When it’s on federal land or property, you are being investigated for a crime that is mostly prosecuted by the federal government, like tax evasion, fraud, drug trafficking, or maybe even murder in many jurisdictions. If you are accused of a federal crime, the consequences can be more serious, as they normally lead to very harsh penalties and jail sentences in federal prison, so it’s paramount you hire the services of an expert criminal defense lawyer to defend you in federal court—and in Lexington Kentucky that means the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Have you been charged with a federal crime?
Our team of criminal defense attorneys are members of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and have been recognized as Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys in America by The National Trial Lawyers and America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys. Put our experience and track record of success to work for you against the government’s charges and protect your freedom!
If you have been charged with a federal crime, you need a team of experienced criminal defense attorneys focused on achieving the absolute best outcome for your case. Call and speak with a Cooley Iuliano Robey, PLLC criminal defense attorney at 859-636-6803.
Free Consultation Sidebar
Types of Federal Criminal Charges
A federal crime are offenses that take place on federal land or property, or it is a type of crime that is most of the prosecuted by federal authorities. These crimes usually deal with interstate commerce, and can be as broad as drug trafficking crimes, baking crimes, financial crimes like insurance fraud, federal sex crimes like child pornography on the internet, and even murders.
Which is why obtaining the services of a federal defense attorney Lexington against federal charges are the first thing you need to do when faced with charges like these. CIR Legal’s seasoned federal attorneys can help you with any type of federal crime charge and help you determine what you’re up against.
Federal Drug Charges
The federal government has its own laws regarding drug crimes and offenses, although whether or not you are tried by the state or by the federal government depends where the arrest occurs and by whom. Most possession offenses are handled by the states, but if you are caught by federal official trafficking, or at the border, manufacturing across state lines, and so on, the charges filed against you will likely be intent to distribute, manufacture, or possess these drugs with the intention of doing so, as established in 21 U.S. Code § 841.Prohibited acts A. These charges will lead to be processed by a federal court and not the state of Kentucky. To be specific, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky hears all federal cases in the Lexington area.
Federal drug crimes are serious and often carry heavier penalties in comparison to its state level counterparts. Which is why if federal drug charges have been filed against you, it’s good advice to make a call to a trusted drug defense attorney in your area.
Federal Firearm Charges
The topic of firearm and weapons control is a very important and controversial one in any state, but suffice to say that the 2nd Amendment makes it a right to possess a firearm, but the government can regulate the circumstances of that right, and punish a person that is convicted of violating those rules. Typical federal penalties for weapon and firearm crimes you can get include mandatory time in prison, including five years if a firearm is used in a drug crime, or 20 years for a second conviction, to even life in prison if a machine gun is used with a silencer in a crime. Altering a semi-automatic firearm to make it a fully automatic can result in 10 years’ time. Giving a minor access to a firearm is a misdemeanor for both persons involved unless the intention was for the juvenile to be an assistant in harming someone else. And one of the worse, which is a federal bomb offense, can lead to life imprisonment if mixed with charges of terrorism. You need a federal defense attorney in these cases with years of experience of having fought for Second Amendment rights.
Federal Sex Charges
A majority of sex crimes cases in the United States are tried under state law, but in the most serious cases, or cases that take place in federal property. Sex crimes involving children are the ones most often prosecuted at a federal level because they usually involve the internet, which is regulated nationally. That includes sexual assault crimes and rape against a minor, exploitation of a child in a sexual manner, including bribes to a parent or legal guardian, Internet enticement of a minor, or even having the intent to solicit sex from a child. Sex offenses against children are punished severely by the federal government, sometimes by minimum sentences that dictate 10 to 15 years in prison time or more against the accused. Other federal sex offenses can include sexual abuse, rape, and abuse, and any conviction will place you in the National Sexual Predator Registry. Only the best and most experienced federal sex crime defense attorney can help in these cases.
Environmental Violations
The federal government’s authority to punish these crimes come, for the most part, from the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, along with several amendments to these laws and a few others. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency that is most likely to punish these violations, although there are a few others involved as well. Charges common with these violations, include illegal disposal of hazardous waste, illegal discharge of pollutant to a water of the United States, tampering with a drinking water supply, conspiracy, mail fraud/wire fraud, money laundering relating to environmental criminal activities, and exporting hazardous waste without the permission of the receiving country.
Criminal Immigration Charges
CIR Legal’s seasoned federal crime attorneys can help you with any type of federal crime charge and help you determine what you’re up against—including criminal immigration charges.
There are several crimes involving immigration in the United States, several of them serious but not as someone might think. For example, entering the United States illegally as a foregisn national is charged with a misdemeanor and it is not an automatic deportation. There must be a trial, and the manner in which they entered the country illegally also matters. Also, the crimes of entering the United States illegally is not the same as being undocumented in the country. Some people might overstay their tourist, student, or work visas, and that is another crime entirely separate from entering illegally.
But U.S. citizens can also be charged with immigration crimes. For example, helping someone create a false or fraudulent document intended to be used to enter the country illegally, is also a crime, as well as employment of illegal immigrants. Knowingly having undocumented immigrants as employees can lead to prison time. . Another immigration crime is permitting illegal aliens from landing in the U.S. via boat or aircraft.
To know more about this particular federal crime, its penalties, and possible defenses a skilled federal crime lawyer can use for it, visit our criminal immigration charges page here.
Federal Racketeering Charges / RICO Charges
CIR Legal’s seasoned federal crime attorneys can help you with any type of federal crime charge and help you determine what you’re up against—including RICO charges or racketeering charges.
What is racketeering anyway? It’s an unlawful, dishonest activity where a person or several persons, organized, are involved in a racket, which is a business meant to look legal or transparent, but in reality it is run with criminal intent, in order to launder money or cheat others of their money.
RICO chargers refer to the crimes outlined in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a federal law passed in 1970 that made it clear all those involved in a racketeering conspiracy are guilty of the crime.
To know more about this particular federal crime, its penalties, and possible defenses a skilled federal crime lawyer can use for it, visit our RICO charges or racketeering charges page here.
Punishments for Federal Crimes
Federal courts , like courts in Kentucky, classify crimes by misdemeanors, infractions, and felonies as well, although the classes of each might vary, as well as the degrees and penalties.
Under federal law, felonies have five classes , from E to A, with maxim fines a lot harsher than those in Kentucky in some cases. The maximum fine, for example, for a Class A felony, is $250,000 , with a sentence of life imprisonment as a possibility, and no less than a year in prison for a Class E felony.
Misdemeanors have three classes, from C to A. The maximum prison times can be 1 year, and fines of up to $100,000. Infractions only get you 5 days or less in jail, or $5,000. In many cases, the court might even order you to reimburse the U.S. Attorney’s office for expenses during the trial and after getting your charges filed.
Federal law and justice can be harsher than those from a state government, especially when it comes to serious crimes like child pornography, murders, financial crimes like tax evasion , a securites fraud case, or even election fraud.
You need an experienced criminal defense lawyer that specializes in federal defense
All of our criminal federal attorneys at Cooley Iuliano Robey, PLLC are members of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as well as the Kentucky Bar Association, with decades of experience in matters of federal charges and federal defenses as well as other practice areas. We value the best interest of every client above all. When it comes to federal offenses, you need federal attorneys who will fight for your constitutional rights. Our federal lawyers will go through every detail and evidence of your case no matter how inconsequential they may be, and no matter the type of offense and using all of our insights and resources. We take our lawyer — client relationship very seriously.
Free Consultation & Case Review from our experienced federal lawyers
At CIR Legal, our federal attorney’s and federal defense services include offering free consultation and case review to potential clients or otherwise. Our federal attorneys have fought and will always strive to fight for the rights of every defendant in the state of Kentucky, no matter the type of offense. If we can’t get your case dismissed, we’ll make sure you get a fair trial and no conviction. Call our law office at 859-636-6803 or fill out our form for a free consultation, no matter if it’s pm or am.