If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you need a law firm that understands exactly what's at stake. At Spodek Law Group, we know that if you're charged in Albany federal court, those prosecutors mean business. Federal charges are not like state cases – penalties are decades long, mandatory minimums kick in, and the government has basically unlimited resources stacked against you. We treat every single client with seriousness, loyalty, and commitment – and unlike some attorneys out there, we aren’t chasing quick plea deals just to move on. Our only loyalty is to you, period.

The Stakes of a Federal Arrest in Albany

When you’re indicted federally in Albany, the difference between freedom and spending 10, 20, sometimes 30 years in prison might come down to the lawyer next to you in court. Just recently, a woman from Latham ended up taking 15 years on a federal drug conspiracy. Another Albany local was hammered with a “career offender” enhancement under U.S.S.G. §4B1.1, and once that label sticks, the judges don’t have much flexibility – you get shipped to prison for a long time. These aren’t made up hypotheticals, these are real outcomes in the Northern District of New York.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office here doesn’t waste time with DUI-level offenses – they’re chasing “big” indictments: 21 U.S.C. § 846 drug conspiracies, 18 U.S.C. § 1343 wire fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) felon-in-possession, 26 U.S.C. § 7201 tax evasion, RICO cases under 18 U.S.C. § 1962. If you’ve been contacted by the FBI, DEA, IRS, or ATF, you’re already in dangerous territory. The James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse downtown Albany is not city court. It’s federal battlefield.

Understanding Federal vs. State Charges in Albany

People think crime is crime. Wrong. New York state charges are totally different than federal ones. In county court, the DA might negotiate, maybe probation, maybe some flexibility. But the Northern District AUSAs? They bring indictments based on lengthy FBI and DEA task force investigations. They come armed with financial analysts, wiretaps, cooperating witnesses, and proffers you won’t even see until discovery. And then you’re looking at federal sentencing guidelines being calculated like cold math, points added for role in offense, criminal history, firearm involvement – each detail driving the number of years higher. And once those guidelines lock in, the judge can’t just wave a wand and say “time served.”

Look, I’ll be straight with you – if you think you can just go in and convince a federal prosecutor that it’s all a misunderstanding, you’re already on the wrong track. By the time charges hit, it means they’ve been working on the case for months, sometimes years, with FBI case agents, IRS criminal investigation divisions, DEA wire intercepts. They’re not guessing. They stacked their case in binders before you even knew they were coming for you.

Federal Enforcement in Albany – It’s Real

Do not kid yourself, “upstate” isn’t protected from federal dragnet sweeps. Albany Division sees indictments that tie to New York City, New Jersey, and beyond. DEA’s Upstate New York Task Force has taken down rings with 10, 15, 20 people at once. Agents team up across jurisdictions – DEA, ATF, FBI field offices in Albany and Schenectady, IRS auditors pouring through bank accounts. When they move, they move heavy. Fugitive sweeps pick up people not just here, but across state lines, at airports, on highways. If your name lands in their affidavit, you’re in it. Doesn’t matter if you never left Albany county – they build conspiracy cases that stretch coast to coast.

Common Federal Charges in Albany

• Drug Trafficking & Conspiracy: These are almost always charged under 21 U.S.C. § 841 and § 846. Even if you just “helped” briefly, conspiracy law sweeps you into the same mandatory minimums – 10 years, 20 years, even life depending on drug weight and priors. That’s why so many defendants in Albany get slammed with decades while thinking their role was small.
• White Collar Crimes: Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341 and § 1343), securities cases, health care fraud, embezzlement. Todd Spodek himself represented Anna Delvey (Anna Sorokin) – one of the most notorious fraud cases in New York history, so notorious it became the Netflix show you probably watched. That’s real experience with high-profile fraud defense. We bring that to Albany federal courtrooms too.
• Firearms & Violent Crimes: 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) offenses – felon in possession, possession in furtherance of a drug crime under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). These enhance sentences drastically. Examples? Someone facing 5 years on drugs can suddenly be staring at 20+ when firearms enhancements come into play. Judges in Albany follow the guidelines carefully. Leniency is rare.

Here’s the truth: federal sentencing in Albany is brutal. Judges here in the Northern District calculate the guidelines, listen to both sides, and rarely veer off. They don’t have the same leeway as local judges uptown. Once the table puts you at 12+ years, that’s what you’re staring at – unless your lawyer knows how to push downward variances, safety valve relief, or guideline departures.

The Cost of Hiring Federal Counsel

How much does it cost to hire us? Honestly – it depends. Retainers for smaller one-defendant wire fraud cases could start around $15,000, large drug conspiracies or white collar indictments with millions on the line can climb to $50,000+. Is that expensive? Maybe. But compare it to losing 20 years of your life because no one fought guideline enhancements, or because some lawyer with no federal experience told you it was “good enough.” The stakes justify the investment every single time.

We’ve fought cases where the exposure was literally 50+ years. In those cases, every motion, every objection, every bit of strategy matters. Look, we’re not saying we can make charges disappear with a snap, but we’ve secured deals and reductions that allowed people to come home to their families years earlier than prosecutors ever wanted. The cost isn’t money. The cost is your life. Which one matters more?

Why You Need a Federal Lawyer – Specifically

Should you get a lawyer for federal cases? Without hesitation – yes. A lawyer who mostly fights DUIs in Albany City Court won’t cut it in the James T. Foley Courthouse. That’s just facts. In federal court you deal with structured plea agreements under Rule 11, sentencing guideline calculations, supervised release arguments, even post-conviction motions under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. This isn’t something you can wing. You don’t call your cousin’s lawyer who handles traffic – you hire a federal defense firm that gets it.

What exactly is a federal lawyer? You’re looking for an attorney admitted to the Northern District of New York, well-versed in federal sentencing guidelines, familiar with the probation office’s presentence investigation reports, and capable of writing sentencing memos that actually move the needle. That’s our daily practice, not occasional dabbling. We know the prosecutors, we know the probation officers, we know how trials are scheduled in Albany federal court. That’s why we can go toe to toe with the government and not blink.

Spodek Law Credentials: Real Experience, Real Results

At Spodek Law Group, we bring 50+ years of combined defense experience – a team that’s handled it all: massive narcotics conspiracies, international wire fraud schemes, financial investigations by IRS CID, and headline-making white collar cases. You probably saw Todd Spodek defending Anna Sorokin (Anna Delvey) in NYC – the case made global news, ended up dramatized on Netflix. That’s not bragging, that’s proof of our experience handling high-profile matters under relentless media spotlight. And that experience matters when your life is on the line.

But it’s not just about famous cases. We’ve litigated in the Northern District of New York, Albany Division, countless times. We’ve stood in front of the judges inside James T. Foley Courthouse, negotiated with AUSAs who wanted mandatory minimums, and pushed back hard until our clients got breaks they never saw coming. We don’t do anything halfway. Whether you’re under investigation for a financial crime that hasn’t become public yet, or you’ve been hit with a DEA-led 20-person indictment, we bring the same relentless energy and strategy.

We owe loyalty to only ONE person – you. Not the prosecutor, not the court calendar. You. And that means sometimes telling you the hard truth, pushing back against prosecutors who think they’ve got an easy plea, and fighting every inch of the way when freedom is on the line.

Immediate Defense – Time Matters

If the FBI, IRS, DEA or ATF knocked on your door or called you in for “a quick talk,” time is everything. Do not wait for the indictment to drop. Once you’re indicted under seal, options vanish fast. Every day you sit unrepresented is one less opportunity to control what happens, one less chance to negotiate before guidelines harden. And the government will happily use your silence or confusion against you. We’ve seen it too many times.

And here’s another reality – by the time agents knock, they probably already have your bank records, text messages from wiretap, a cooperating witness wired up. It feels unfair because it is. But waiting doesn’t help. Calling us does. Because we know how to get in early, analyze discovery, file suppression motions if evidence crosses lines, and craft a strategy not just for trial, but for every stage ahead. Your start has to be immediate if you want a fighting chance.

We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. We create real strategies, we don’t just meet you on court day. We give you clarity when everything feels stacked against you – because we know how crushing this process is, and we know how to fight it.

Contact Spodek Law Group right now for a confidential consultation. Charged or investigated in Albany federal court? Don’t gamble your life. Hire the law firm that gets it.