Chicago Federal Wire Fraud Lawyer

If you’re on our website, it’s because you’re staring down serious federal wire fraud charges — maybe an indictment already dropped, maybe you’re under investigation, or maybe you just got that unexpected visit from FBI special agents. Whatever brought you here, one thing is certain: your life, your career, your freedom, they’re all on the line. At Spodek Law Group, we don’t play games with cases like this. We know what 18 U.S.C. §1343 means, and we know how prosecutors in Chicago weaponize this statute inside the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. And if you don’t hire a law firm that gets it, you’re giving the government the advantage before the fight even begins.

Federal wire fraud charges in Chicago aren’t like the the state fraud cases you might read about on the news. These aren’t local prosecutors running misdemeanor courts out of Cook County, this is the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, backed by the IRS-CI, FBI Chicago Field Division, and sometimes even the SEC. They work in teams, building cases for months or years, gathering emails, bank wires, encrypted chats, even social media posts that cross state lines. And when they decide to charge you, it means the DOJ already thinks they have enough to lock you away for decades.

What is Federal Wire Fraud? (18 U.S.C. §1343)

The federal wire fraud statute — 18 U.S.C. §1343 — is intentionally broad. Congress wrote it in a way that allows prosecutors to take virtually any alleged scheme involving interstate communications, and drop it into federal court. Emails, phone calls, wire transfers, Zelle payments, even encrypted WhatsApp chats used in multi-state business… they all count. It doesn’t stop there; prosecutors often stack charges with 18 U.S.C. §1349 (conspiracy), or tie it to 18 U.S.C. §1344 (bank fraud) if financial institutions are touched. We’ve handled wire fraud cases that… look, the point is we know exactly how the government builds them — and how to tear them apart.

The penalties are brutal. Each count brings up to 20 years. If a financial institution is touched, or if the fraud is tied to disaster relief funds, it jumps to 30 years per count. That’s not theory, that’s not scare tactic lawyering — that’s the U.S. Code, black and white. And in Chicago, judges apply the sentencing guidelines based on “loss amount.” I’ll be straight with you about wire fraud cases: you might think it’s just a paper crime, but for the government, it’s blood sport. They’ll push loss amounts sky high, they’ll argue every enhancement under the guidelines, they’ll add obstruction if they think you lied during the investigation. A low-level case can still mean years in prison if not handled aggressively.

Why Chicago is Ground Zero for Wire Fraud Prosecutions

Chicago is one of the busiest federal jurisdictions in America for financial crime, especially wire fraud. The Northern District of Illinois prioritizes healthcare billing fraud, securities manipulation, PPP loan fraud, unemployment benefit cases, and investment schemes. The FBI Chicago Field Office teams up constantly with IRS Criminal Investigations, Postal Inspectors, and occasionally SIGPR investigators (the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief). This isn’t theory — it’s in their press releases. Just this past year: suburban business owners sentenced to 6+ years, healthcare executives indicted, investment advisers accused of multi-million pump-and-dump schemes. These aren’t abstract examples, they’re people just like you, and their lives got put on the line inside the Dirksen courthouse, right downtown where every big financial case lands.

Look, wire fraud is the DOJ’s favorite weapon because it’s flexible and easy to prove, at least on paper. All they need is a “scheme,” an “intent,” and some use of interstate wires. Suddenly, your emails to an investor in another state, or a bank wire that passed through a New York clearinghouse, becomes federal jurisdiction. And once your name shows up in a DOJ press release, it’s not just about prison — it’s about reputation, family relationships, even immigration consequences. It sticks to you permanently.

Real Penalties and Sentences in Chicago Wire Fraud Cases

Here’s how it works: the Federal Sentencing Guidelines calculate your exposure using a grid. The loss amount under USSG §2B1.1 drives the numbers. Add in enhancements for “more than 10 victims,” use of “sophisticated means,” “abuse of position of trust” — and the guideline range starts climbing like a rocket. In Chicago, we’ve seen defendants facing:

• Small schemes – maybe $20,000 in losses – 12-18 months
• Mid-size frauds – a few million – 4-6 years
• Healthcare/securities cases – often enhanced – 8-10+ years
• Massive investor fraud – dozens of victims – easily 20 years stacked

And that’s before considering restitution, forfeiture, government seizures. You can lose everything. Houses seized, businesses destroyed, professional licenses revoked. One press conference by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and it’s plastered all over the Chicago Tribune, WGN, and CNBC. I know what it’s like because I represented Anna Delvey — the media spotlight makes the sentence only part of the punishment. Her case was different, but the lesson sticks: these fraud allegations don’t just stay on paper, they take a life of their own in public opinion.

Strategies to Defend Federal Wire Fraud Charges

So how do we fight back? First, intent. Prosecutors love to show data and say “scheme to defraud.” But sloppy bookkeeping, poor business judgment, a failed startup — none of that is wire fraud unless there’s proof of actual fraud intent. That’s where we push back hard, motion by motion, witness by witness. Second, we attack the government’s interpretation of electronic evidence. The FBI uses big slideshows of emails and bank records, but context matters. A wire transfer doesn’t automatically equal fraud. Third, we don’t rule out negotiation. Sometimes the best outcome for a client is taking a case with sky-high exposure and negotiating it down into probation or minimal time. It’s about strategy, not ego. We adapt constantly, because in federal court, one wrong move is the difference between 20 years and walking free.

And we bring in what most lawyers can’t: forensic accounting experts, investigators, motion practice veterans. We’ll challenge search warrants, subpoenas, evidentiary foundations. We know how to litigate suppression issues when FBI agents skirt the line. And we know how to build a sentencing mitigation package that actually moves judges, not just another lawyer begging for mercy at the last minute.

Chicago’s Federal Process: What You Need to Expect

Your case won’t happen overnight. It starts with an investigation, often years long. Maybe agents show up with a grand jury subpoena, maybe they raid your office, maybe you learn through a target letter. Indictment comes next, usually signed inside Chicago by the grand jury sitting at Dirksen Federal Courthouse. You get arraigned before a magistrate judge. Discovery rolls in. Then pretrial motions, suppression battles, status conferences, trial readiness hearings. Months or years of litigation ahead. All of it under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure — state law has zero relevance here.

And in the Northern District of Illinois, the judges are sharp. They’ve overseen massive financial frauds, racketeering, corruption. They don’t tolerate sloppy lawyering, and they don’t cut breaks unless you’ve earned credibility by aggressively litigating. We’ve stood in those courtrooms in front of Judge Nancy Maldonado, Judge Matthew Kennelly, Judge Robert Gettleman. We know how each runs a trial, how discovery disputes get handled, how sentencing memos land. That inside federal experience is why we matter in your case — because we’re not learning as we go, we’ve lived this.

Costs, Consequences, and Breaking Illusions

Let’s be real. These cases cost money and time. Clients sometimes ask “how much does a lawyer in Illinois cost?” The answer is: it depends, because federal wire fraud cases drag on for months or years. They’re not quick guilty pleas. They require motion practice, evidence review, dealing with forensic accounting. If a lawyer quotes you a flat low number, they’re selling you a fantasy. But not fighting? That costs you your career, millions in restitution, maybe deportation if you’re not a citizen, and decades of your life. There’s no shortcut here.

Why Spodek Law Group for Wire Fraud Defense in Chicago?

Because we know exactly what’s at stake, and we don’t care about pleasing courts or press — we only serve you. We’ve done this nationally, we’ve done this in cases everyone said were unwinnable. Todd Spodek personally represented Anna Delvey, fought through a media circus, and handled reputational damage while litigating complex fraud allegations. That’s not hype, that’s track record. Wire fraud carries that same spotlight in Chicago now, because DOJ knows publicity is half the punishment.

At Spodek Law Group, we have a rock star team of seasoned trial lawyers, sentencing experts, and investigators, bringing 50 years of combined experience. We’ve shredded FBI “evidence dumps,” picked apart IRS-CI spreadsheets, and cross-examined agents until their cases collapsed. We know the Chicago prosecutors. We know the federal process inside-out. And more importantly — we don’t fold under pressure. Many lawyers talk about fighting, we actually do it, in front of juries, in front of judges, in real cases where the government thought conviction was a sure thing.

If you are facing federal wire fraud charges in Chicago, your future is on the line. The DOJ has already mobilized its resources. Now is when you mobilize yours. Call Spodek Law Group today for a confidential consultation. We don’t promise miracles, we promise a real defense. Every minute matters in federal cases, and every move we make is directed at one goal only — protecting your freedom and your reputation.