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Federal Charges attorney Columbus, Ohio
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Over 15 Years Combined Experience
3000+ Case Defended
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Why Choose Attorney Adam Burke
Award-Winning Criminal Defense Attorneys
Burke represents clients facing a variety of federal offenses including
White Collar Crime\Columbus Criminal Attorney in Federal Court
Fraud & Money Laundering
Ohio Fraud & Financial Crime
Federal Drug Offenses
Federal Drug Penalties Introduction
Possession Penalties
Conspiracy Penalties
Trafficking Penalties
Columbus Federal Criminal Defense
Mistake of Fact Defense
Federal Court Cases are generally felonies. Most cases begin as investigations by a federal agency such as the FBI, IRS, DEA or SEC.
Many of these investigations begin as civil rather than criminal investigations. In these parallel civil proceedings, many of the protections afforded criminal defendant’s are not available. Because of this, many people incriminate themselves by trying to resolve the civil investigation. If you are the target of any federal investigation, it is important to seek the counsel of a federal criminal defense lawyer.
At some point, the Justice Department may criminally prosecute the investigation may .
As a skilled Columbus Criminal Attorney, Adam Burke will bring his knowledge, passion and trial skills to your case. After speaking with Burke, you will understand the charges against you, and the keys to your defense strategy. Discuss your case with experienced Columbus Criminal Attorney practicing in federal court.
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Columbus Federal Charges Attorney
Federal Criminal Charges Categories
Most federal offenses fall into one of the following categories
➢ Corporate & Business Crimes
➢ Computer and Cyber Crimes
➢ Identity Theft
➢ Money Laundering
➢ Bribery
➢ Public Corruption
➢ Asset Forfeiture
➢ Embezzlement
➢ Tax Evasion
➢ Sports Bribery
➢ Counterfeiting
➢ Embezzlement from Public Pension and Welfare funds
➢ Extortion
➢ Credit Extortion
➢ Obstruction of Justice
➢ Witness Tampering
➢ Federal and Interstate
➢ Gambling Offenses
➢ Money Laundering
➢ Murder for Hire
➢ Bank Fraud and Financial Institution Fraud
➢ Business Fraud
➢ Financial Fraud
➢ Internet Fraud
➢ Business Opportunity Fraud
➢ Health Care Fraud
➢ Medicare and Medicaid Fraud
➢ Mortgage Fraud
➢ Real Estate Fraud
➢ Tax Fraud
➢ Securities Fraud
➢ Credit Card Fraud
➢ Insurance Fraud
➢ Identification Fraud
➢ Mail and Wire Fraud
➢ Citizenship or Naturalization fraud
➢ Conspiracy
➢ Drug Distribution and Manufacturing
➢ Drug Possession
➢ Drug Trafficking
➢ Drug Importation
➢ Drug Possession With Intent to Distribute
If you are facing federal charges, you may be suspected of having committed one of several offenses. What follows is a brief description of federal charges that a citizen can potentially be charged with – one of which you may be facing.
Federal White Collar Crime
White Collar crimes: crimes committed for financial gain through lying, cheating and stealing. These crimes usually involve large scale frauds, and may be committed by independent businessmen and government professionals, and sometimes by whole corporations (the term “white collar” refers to high status).
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) investigates such crimes. It reports that such crimes cost the country a staggering $300 billion annually.
Infamous for wiping out entire hard-earned savings and destroying homes, the government imposes harsh penalties on anyone charged and convicted of committing such a white collar crime.
If you are charged with committing a white collar crime, you may be facing penalties such as home detention, community confinement, restitution, fines and imprisonment, as well as others that are uniquely suited to your case. To get a lowdown on the unique circumstance you are facing, it’s best if you talk to a competent lawyer as soon as possible.
Federal Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
Fraud and money laundering are increasingly becoming crimes we witness everywhere in the country today. At the federal level, they carry the strictest of penalties. According to federal law, when someone uses a trick or a scheme to falsify information to achieve material gain, it is fraud.
For example, you deposit a sum with a person who claims to be able to double the money in 10 days. The man, of course, can do nothing of this sort, and he does not return your money to you and vanishes. He has committed fraud. One may also commit fraud to damage another individual – not only for material gain.
Money laundering, on the other hand, is the process of concealing the source of the money gotten through criminal activities. In simple words, money laundering is making “dirty” money legitimate. Large drug deals, arms sales, frauds, embezzlement, etc. generate a large amount of money for the people involved in the activity.
To hide the source of these funds, so that it can’t be traced back to them, the people involved engage in money laundering. Money laundering is defined by federal law as knowingly conducting a financial transaction involving criminal proceeds, concealing criminal proceeds and (or) ignoring federal reporting requirements.
Often fraud and money laundering are carried out together. Fraud carries heavy penalties. If convicted, you may face 5 years in prison (8 years if you were considered to have been involved in terrorist activities) and a fine as deemed necessary by the judge. For money laundering, the penalty is much stricter. You may face a 20-year prison term, as well as fines of more than $500,000.
Federal Fraud and Financial Crime Charges
Fraud often involves financial crime. Financial crime committed through fraud may involve credit card embezzlement, credit card fraud, wire fraud, internet fraud, mail theft, identity theft, securities, fraud, mortgage fraud, medical and health care fraud, stealing government checks, split-deposit schemes and counterfeiting, among others.
Minor financial crimes are usually handled by the state government in a state court.
The federal government is likely to get involved when there is an organized element behind the financial crime operating over a large area.
Penalties for financial crimes include a lengthy prison term, fines and asset forfeitures.
Federal Drug Offenses
A large number of cases (estimated 29%) that appear in federal court involve drugs in one way or another. The federal government classifies drug offenses into three major categories.
Federal Drug Possession (Possession of a controlled substance): If you are carrying in full awareness a drug that is defined as a “controlled substance”, then you are guilty of drug possession. A controlled substance is a substance that is harmful to the human body in large quantities. Marijuana and hashish are examples of controlled substances.
Federal Drug Trafficking: If you willingly manufacture or distribute, or in the possession of a drug and want to distribute it, then you are guilty of drug trafficking. When large quantities of drugs are involved, the federal government may feel the need to step in – otherwise, drug trafficking may be treated as a state crime.
Federal Drug Conspiracy: A drug conspiracy, as the name suggests, is an agreement to violate drug laws. You must have knowingly and intentionally participated in the conspiracy to be accused of having committed a drug conspiracy.
Federal Criminal Defense – Mistake of Fact Defense
Sometimes, despite the clear evidence against you, you can use the mistake of fact defense to be let off the hook. While ignorance of law cannot be used as a defense in any court, it’s possible that you were unaware that you were committing a crime. In such a case, when you were in no mental state to commit the crime and did not have any intention of committing a crime, you could claim the mistake of fact defense.
Mistake of fact defense can only be used only if you can offer a reasonable doubt that you were unaware of what you were doing. This defense does not apply to involuntary manslaughter – shooting someone with a gun you thought was unloaded is still punishable by law-, sexual intercourse and lewd conduct with minors, aggravated kidnapping of minors and selling or giving narcotics to minors.
Federal White Collar Crime
Federal drug penalties are assigned after referring to United States Code (USC) and the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG). The penalties for drug possession, drug trafficking, and drug conspiracy can be very harsh, depending on the exact facts surrounding the case. Repeat offenders, for example, are unlikely to escape with nominal fines. The higher the quantity of drugs involved, the stricter the penalty imposed.
Generally, penalties may range from a few days in prison to as many as 20 years in prison, along with hefty fines.
Being convicted of a federal crime can devastate your life and your career. It is important to reduce your sentencing as much as possible so that you can have the hope of a better future. If you are innocent, it’s vital that you put up a convincing defense, which will involve the interpretation of some very complex laws.
Federal Penalties for Possession of a Federally Controlled Substance
Federal Penalties for Drug Conspiracy
Federal Penalties for Drug Trafficking
Facing Federal Criminal Charges
- Over 15 Years Combined Experience
- Our Firm has Successfully Handled 1000's of Cases
- Proven Track Record of Excellent Results
Facing Federal Criminal Charges
If charged with committing a federal crime, it is important that you don’t panic and remain aware of your rights. It’s best to consult with a qualified legal representative as soon as possible with whom you can discuss your legal options.
The internet cannot match an attorney who has real-life experience on his side. A good attorney can help you explore options that you previously thought unavailable to you.
Federal Practice and Federal Criminal Defense
Adam Burke is a responsible and committed advocate based in the Southern District of the state of Ohio. He excels in handling criminal cases, whether at the state or at the federal level. He runs a dedicated federal practice that treats each case as a unique case. Adam Burke is committed to defending men and women to the best of his ability. He brings to bear an intimate understanding of law when fighting a case.
His federal criminal defense services include, but are not limited to, defense against federal white-collar crimes such as corporate crimes, business crimes, computer crimes, identity thefts, money laundering, bribery, public corruption, embezzlement, asset forfeiture and tax evasion. He can help you fight federal fraud offenses like bank frauds, tax frauds, credit card frauds and internet frauds. He can also help you fight drug possession charges, drug trafficking charges, drug importation as well as drug distribution and manufacturing charges.
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