Colorado Springs Federal Criminal Lawyer

If you’re on our website, it’s because you’re facing serious federal charges – and you know deep down this isn’t something you can risk handling with anyone less than the best. We get it. We understand the gravity. Federal cases change your life forever. You could be sitting here today, able to hug your kids, and by this time next year you could be staring at 15, 25, 40 years inside a Bureau of Prisons facility hundreds of miles away. That’s how fast this moves if you don’t get in front of it with the right defense team.

Our firm has a national reputation for being aggressive, bold, and relentless. Todd Spodek himself defended Anna Delvey — the so-called “fake heiress” trial everyone watched on Netflix — and what that case proved is simple: when the lights are the brightest, when the government comes swinging with the biggest haymakers, we don’t flinch. We fight. And we bring that exact same approach into federal courtrooms here in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Denver.

We’ve got a rock star team, over 50 years of combined experience battling federal indictments. When you hire Spodek Law Group, *our loyalty is only to you*. We don’t care about keeping prosecutors happy. We don’t care about staying cozy with judges. Our one and only focus is your freedom, period.

The High Stakes of Federal Charges in Colorado Springs

You probably already know this — but let me spell it out. Federal charges in Colorado Springs are an entirely different league than state cases. A simple example: a woman right here was sentenced to ten years in federal prison just for distributing prescription pills to her teenage son. Ten years. And then there was the raid involving over 300 federal agents storming a nightclub in the Springs — federal ATF, FBI, DEA task forces all working together, detaining over 100 people in one night. These are not “routine busts.” They’re shock-and-awe campaigns designed to scare entire communities.

And here’s what folks don’t realize: when the federal government targets you, they don’t play fair. They throw FBI surveillance, DEA undercover buys, IRS financial investigations, ATF ballistics labs — all of it. They coordinate, they build 2-3 year long investigations. And then, when they indict you, they’ll act like they’re “offering mercy” with a plea deal that still puts you in prison for double-digit years. That’s the game. That’s reality. You need someone who’s seen behind the curtain and knows how to fight back.

Federal vs. State Charges

I’ll be straight with you: too many Colorado Springs defendants think a case is a case. They think their cousin’s state court lawyer can step into federal court and wing it. That’s a mistake. El Paso County Court is not the same thing as the federal District of Colorado courtroom in Denver. State judges often have more flexibility. Federal judges are boxed in by the United States Sentencing Guidelines — which are harsh, rigid, mathematical. And the prosecutors? They’re Assistant U.S. Attorneys. They live and breathe federal law, they handle nothing else. You walk into that room unprepared, you’re going to lose.

Every case here flows into the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Even if your arrest was in Colorado Springs itself, don’t be surprised when your arraignment, hearings, and trial are all handled primarily in Denver. That matters — because now your jury is not just from our city. It can include people from Boulder, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Pueblo. That dynamic changes everything, and it’s something we understand and prepare for.

Common Federal Charges We See in Colorado Springs

We’ve defended nearly every type of federal indictment. In Colorado Springs, these are the charges we see over and over:

• White Collar Crimes – Wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. §1343, mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. §1341, healthcare fraud, tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. §7201. These are cases where the government often stretches the facts to paint ordinary business disputes as criminal fraud. Todd Spodek’s work in the Anna Delvey trial proves we know how to defend fraud cases that attract national attention.
• Drug Trafficking – The DEA and FBI have poured resources into Southern Colorado. Federal drug conspiracy cases under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846 carry mandatory minimums — sometimes 10 years, sometimes life — based just on drug weight tables. These cases are built with confidential informants, wiretaps, and controlled buys.
• Firearms and Violent Crimes – Federal gun charges under 18 U.S.C. §922(g) (felon in possession) or 924(c) (using a firearm during a crime of violence) can stack years on top of base sentences. We’ve seen violent crime investigations pulled from CSPD and then escalated to ATF-led joint task forces, making them federal overnight.
• RICO and Conspiracy – The government loves conspiracy charges. They’ll pull everyone into one sweeping case, even if someone’s role was minimal. Under 18 U.S.C. §1962 (RICO), prosecutors often paint local crews as national criminal “enterprises.” We tear those narratives apart.

What To Expect in Federal Court

First comes the investigation — often by the FBI field office right here in Colorado Springs, sometimes in coordination with DEA, ATF, or IRS investigators from Denver. You might notice surveillance vans. You might notice unmarked cars. You might even be questioned casually while they’ve already built up months of evidence against you. Then comes the indictment. Once prosecutors file an indictment under the name United States of America v. [Your Name], the case takes on a momentum that feels impossible to stop.

Hearings will be at the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver, in front of Article III federal judges. The prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who do nothing but federal criminal cases all year long. They’ve got the resources of the DOJ behind them. And here’s what really happens: they’ll throw you what looks like a deal, maybe 8-12 years, and say it’s “merciful” compared to your exposure, which is 25 to life. It’s a pressure tactic. And too many lawyers cave. We don’t cave.

Key Questions Clients Ask

How much does a federal lawyer cost?

Look, no one wants to talk about money. But federal cases are expensive to defend. Why? Because discovery is massive — you might have terabytes of wiretap recordings. You might have thousands of pages of financial records if it’s a fraud case. You need experts, investigators, sometimes jury consultants. For complex fraud or drug conspiracy, six-figure fees are common. We’re transparent about costs, we don’t hide the ball. But cutting corners here is gambling with your life.

Do I really need a lawyer for a federal case?

I’ll be blunt: yes. Absolutely. A general practice lawyer who only does DUIs has no business handling federal conspiracy to distribute under 21 U.S.C. §846 or a RICO indictment. If you gamble on that, you’re gambling on decades in prison. Hire a law firm that gets it.

What’s the difference between federal and state prosecutors?

Federal prosecutors don’t have overloaded dockets the way county DAs do. They pick their cases carefully. By the time you’re indicted federally, odds are the FBI or DEA has already spent years building evidence. That’s why federal prosecutions have a conviction rate north of 90%. You need a team that knows how to be that 5% who beat them.

How much does a criminal lawyer cost in Colorado?

For state-level charges, sometimes you can get representation for a fraction of the cost. But in federal cases — conspiracy, wiretap, forensic accounting — the complexity skyrockets. A federal case out of Colorado Springs almost always costs more, plain and simple. That’s why you need a firm with deep resources and experience like ours.

Why Federal Experience Matters

Here’s the bottom line. Federal sentencing guidelines are brutal. Harsh. Unforgiving. Judges have less leeway than in state court. So the real battle has to be earlier: at suppression hearings, challenging search warrants, dismantling conspiracy allegations, negotiating with AUSAs from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If your lawyer doesn’t understand the Guidelines Manual cover to cover, you’re at a severe disadvantage.

We’ve handled cases under the spotlight, literally internationally televised. But more importantly, we’ve handled cases where almost no one was watching. And we brought the same preparation and focus. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. It doesn’t matter if there are cameras in the courtroom, or if it’s just you and your worried family sitting behind us. Our energy is the same.

Defense Strategies We Use

• Challenging Illegal Searches – Was the FBI’s search warrant valid? Did DEA exceed the scope of the warrant? Did ATF agents pressure informants improperly? These issues can destroy a case if we win them.
• Negotiating Smart – We know the AUSAs in Denver. We know who is stubborn, who is pragmatic. Sometimes a deal makes sense. Sometimes you’re better off rolling the dice. But that’s a judgment we make only after being fully prepared to try the case.
• Being Trial Ready – This matters more than anything. Prosecutors cut the weakest deals if they sense your lawyer won’t risk trial. Our posture is always this: we’re ready for trial, we dare you to go the distance.
• Understanding Colorado’s Federal Landscape – This isn’t New York or California. Colorado federal judges, federal probation officers, AUSAs — they have tendencies and local practices. That nuance matters. We bring it into every strategy session.

The Next Step

If you’re under federal investigation in Colorado Springs, or already indicted, you have one job right now: act fast. Don’t wait. Fed prosecutors are building their case as we speak, every day, every hour. You cannot sit idle. You need to take control of your narrative. Spodek Law Group has taken on “unwinnable” cases — and we’ve won them. We’ve been trusted in situations where the media was watching, where reputations and lives were on the line. Our focus never changes: protecting you.

Call us today. Get us in your corner. We will listen. We will strategize. And we will be brutally honest with you about your risks, your chances, your options. Because at the end of the day — this isn’t just another case. It’s your family, your freedom, your future. And you deserve a defense team that gets it.