Although authorities prosecute most crimes at the state level, the federal government takes authority over more serious criminal acts in Florida. Often these violations occur while crossing state borders, forcing federal agencies to become involved in the investigation.
Being charged with a federal crime in St. Petersburg, Florida, is extremely serious. The federal government has an 85% conviction rate once it decides to press charges in court. If you’re under investigation by a federal agency, you need to start seeking legal counsel to prepare your defense.
The Law Place is ready and prepared to deal with any type of federal investigation. We have over 75 years of collective experience defending our clients from federal criminal charges in Florida. Our law firm offers a free consultation with a qualified federal criminal defense attorney in St. Petersburg. With the backing of the entire team, your lawyer will aggressively pursue your defense to protect your rights and freedom.
Call The Law Place now at (941) 444-4444.
Differences Between State and Federal Crimes
Whether a criminal violation is prosecuted as a state or federal crime depends on the laws that established the criminal statute. Many crimes are illegal at the federal level but are prosecuted at the local or state level. If state authorities would normally prosecute a crime, but perpetrators crossed state lines to commit the act, the federal government will step in to handle the case.
Many laws were initially passed by the federal government and not by state governments. Violations of these laws may be handled by federal authorities, depending on the circumstances.
Most often, only the most severe crimes get prosecuted by the federal government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation lists examples of serious federal crimes:
- Terrorism – Foreign (funded or associated with foreign organizations) and domestic acts of violence stemming from ideological, political, religious, social, or racial goals.
- White-collar crimes – Financial crimes like fraud, money laundering, etc., that are typically on an international, national, or regional scope.
- Public corruption – Violations of the law by publicly elected or appointed representatives at the federal, state, or local levels.
- Counterintelligence – Passing of private or secret information by individuals or organizations to foreign governments or non-governmental entities. This doesn’t just include government secrets, but trade secrets of universities and corporations.
- Cybercrimes – Acts against computers, computer networks, public or private information, and public infrastructure that threaten national security.
- Violent crimes – Violent acts that threaten the public on a large scale, such as serial killings, mass killings, sniper killings, gangs, bank robbery, and crimes against children and minors.
- Civil rights violations – Crimes against the civil rights of communities of color.
- Organized crime – Crimes perpetrated by hierarchical, self-perpetuating, transnational criminal organizations.
- WMD – The construction, procurement, or intent to use weapons meant to cause destruction on a large scale. These include bombs, rockets, chemical weapons, etc.
Federal crimes often carry much more serious consequences than state crimes. If you are the subject of a federal investigation into any of the matters listed above, you need to contact a criminal defense attorney to immediately prepare your defense.
Organizations That Deal With Federal Crime
Any federal criminal investigation will involve one or more federal agencies and the United States Attorney’s Office. Understanding which agency is collecting evidence against you is key to strategizing your legal defense.
According to the Department of Justice’s website, these are the agencies equipped and authorized to handle federal crimes:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
- Health and Human Service (HHS)
- Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
- U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
If you receive a communication from any of these federal agencies regarding an investigation against you, contact The Law Place immediately. We can offer you counsel and guidance on the steps you should take to defend yourself from any potential charges in Florida.
We’re here to serve you. Our phones are open 24 hours a day. What Does Attorney-Client Privilege Mean?
Any communications between you and your criminal defense attorney are strictly confidential. This is known as attorney-client privilege, and all criminal defense lawyers are legally bound to uphold it.
The Law Place rigorously adheres to laws surrounding attorney-client privilege. During the course of federal investigations, this will be key to ensuring the best possible defense for your case. You can rest assured knowing that no compromising information will reach federal investigative agencies through us.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience What Can a St. Petersburg, FL., Federal Crimes Lawyer Do for Me?
The Law Place will start preparing and enacting your defense in several ways. Comprehensive steps must be taken to ensure that you do not incriminate yourself. Your criminal defense attorney will advise and guide you through the investigative process and aggressively defend your case should it be taken to court.
Your lawyer will have their own investigative team that will attempt to uncover evidence potentially being used against you. It is important that you are honest with your attorney and walk them through what may have sparked the federal investigation. Everything you discuss stays completely confidential.
We will use every angle for your defense. Our law firm is relentless and will fight the federal government’s case in every way possible.
To help your defense, you should not discuss any details of the investigation with anyone other than your criminal defense attorney. This is critical to ensuring federal investigative agencies don’t have access to information that may incriminate you or compromise your case’s defense. Also, discuss nothing over the phone, as federal authorities may have access to recordings of any conversations you may have.
If you have any questions about the numerous benefits a criminal defense attorney will provide you, contact The Law Place now to schedule a free consultation. No matter what practice areas your investigation falls under, our criminal defense lawyers are prepared to take up your case.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers. Possible Defenses Against Federal Crimes
The U.S. Department of Justice states that there must be sufficient evidence to pursue a criminal prosecution against you. This means that if we can prove federal investigative authorities don’t have enough evidence, we might be able to get the case dismissed.
Also, in some cases, federal agencies enlist individuals’ aid in the course of another investigation. The federal government is huge and complex, and sometimes these individuals are charged with crimes by another agency. If there is evidence that the crime was commissioned by a legal authority to pursue evidence in a relevant investigation, the charges can be dropped.
These are just a couple of the ways that The Law Place can defend you from federal criminal charges. Contact us now to find out more about our legal representation.
Contact The Law Place St. Petersburg, FL., Federal Crimes Lawyer Today
Have you been informed of a federal investigation against you? Do you lack adequate, if any, legal protection?
Contact The Law Place today. Our federal criminal defense lawyers have a combined experience of over 75 years, representing our clients in many different practice areas in Florida. We offer the best legal counsel in St. Petersburg, FL., and can handle a federal case’s complexities.
Don’t leave a federal crime case up to a law firm that can’t handle it.
Call The Law Place now at (941) 444-4444.
