Portland Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

| by Max Soni

Last Updated on: 30th September 2025, 09:25 pm

Portland 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 a small county matter you can wish away. At Spodek Law Group, we understand what federal really means. In Portland, your case is not heard in some state courthouse scattered across Multnomah County. It’s front and center at the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, at the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse downtown. The courtroom is run by federal judges, the prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys, and the investigators behind the charges are backed by agencies like the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, and DHS. That combination is what makes these cases lethal to anyone without experienced defense counsel. One conviction can mean a decade or two in federal prison, not probation, not diversion programs. That’s why you need us – because we owe loyalty to only YOU, no exceptions.

We’ve built a national reputation as a rock star team of federal defense attorneys with over 50 years of combined experience, and the only reason we’re trusted coast-to-coast is because we keep winning the impossible fights. Portland is no different for us. Many people first heard Todd Spodek’s name because of the Anna Sorokin / Anna Delvey case – Netflix made an entire series highlighting it – but what people forget is what it takes to win media-driven high-stakes litigation. That exact same skill with strategy, optics, jury management, and aggressive motion practice is what we deploy in federal courts like Portland. If you’re sitting there right now worried about what happens next – let me just say, you’re right to be worried, and you’re also right to look for a law firm that gets it.

The Reality of Federal Charges in Portland

Portland has been on the DOJ’s radar for years. Federal indictments here reflect national priorities: firearm trafficking, financial fraud, protest-related assaults on federal personnel, sex crimes involving inter-state communications. We’ve seen cases like USA v. Keast in the Ninth Circuit, decisions directly tied to what happens right here in the District of Oregon. When a guy steals forty-seven guns from a pawnshop in Portland, that’s not local news for long – he got hit with federal gun charges, 18 U.S.C. § 922(u), and landed a serious prison term. When people clashed with federal officers near the courthouse during demonstrations, young men and women in their 20s suddenly faced counts under 18 U.S.C. § 111 for assaulting federal officers, which carry heavy maximums and mandatory custody.

The truth is cold: federal prosecutors win 90%+ of their cases. That number alone should push you into fight mode. These aren’t county DAs juggling DUI calendars. These are Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prepare their indictments like machines. And once you’re indicted under statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) or 21 U.S.C. § 841 (controlled substances / narcotics), the sentencing guidelines tie your judge’s hands. Guidelines are rigid, mandatory minimums loom, and the entire system is designed to squeeze you into a plea if you let it. You need battle-ready representation from day one.

Understanding How Cases Go Federal in Portland

So you’re wondering – when does something “become” a federal case? Here’s the deal. It depends on jurisdiction and statutes. Cross state lines with drugs? That invokes 21 U.S.C. interstate trafficking laws. Touch a federally regulated financial institution with fraud? That’s straight into 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud). Threaten or injure a federal officer in downtown Portland? That’s 18 U.S.C. § 111. Stealing from a federally licensed firearm dealer? That’s ATF territory. And digital schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, anything tied to interstate wires – those fall under wire fraud statutes and instantly light up on a federal radar.

We’ve seen people move from state court cases into new federal indictments overnight. Example: A Salem case involved an individual who already served state time for luring a minor, only to later face a federal indictment under 18 U.S.C. § 2252 for receipt of child pornography. That’s because state and federal are separate sovereigns – double jeopardy doesn’t shield you. That’s Portland’s federal court system in action, and unless you’ve got counsel who actually practices in federal courts regularly – not “sometimes,” not “occasionally” – you’re in danger.

Common Federal Charges in Portland

• White Collar & Financial Crimes: Wire fraud schemes (18 U.S.C. § 1343), securities fraud, and bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344). Portland’s growing entrepreneurial sector is ripe for federal attention. Prosecutors target online crypto schemes, SBA loan scams, computer intrusions. We’ve defended professionals blindsided by indictments they never saw coming.
• Firearms & Violent Offenses: Cases involving firearms stolen from licensed dealers (18 U.S.C. § 922(u)), felon in possession charges (§ 922(g)), assaults on federal officers (§ 111). These charges are prevalent amid protests or crimes that involve federal property or personnel.
• Sex Crimes with Federal Nexus: Transporting minors for illegal sexual activity across states (§ 2423), child pornography receipt/distribution statutes, or inducement charges tied to internet communications. In Portland and Salem we’ve seen charges tied directly to online sting operations by FBI Portland field office and Homeland Security Investigations.

The agencies are serious. The Portland FBI, the DEA narcotics task forces operating in Oregon, IRS Criminal Investigations for fraud, ICE Homeland Security Investigations – they deploy data subpoenas, covert operations, wiretaps. They seize your devices, your bank accounts, your assets. We make sure their supposed airtight evidence collapses. That’s the whole difference between losing and surviving federal court.

What to Expect in Portland Federal Court

Your first appearance will be inside the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse. You’ll likely see a magistrate judge early for your arraignment and bail motions. From there, your matter goes to a district judge for trial – Portland has judges like Judge Marco Hernández and Judge Michael Mossman who’ve handled major federal issues here. If sentencing happens, it’s under the United States Sentencing Guidelines – numerical levels, criminal history categories, enhancements for things like role in offense or number of victims. Every word, every detail matters. Appeals go straight to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting in San Francisco but hearing Oregon cases. And the Ninth Circuit is a beast of its own – huge caseload, liberal leaning, and not forgiving if you don’t preserve the right issues early.

Process is technical. You’ll hear terms like “PSR” (Presentence Report), “variance motions,” “pretrial detention.” It feels overwhelming. And it is, unless you’ve got attorneys who live and breathe this arena. We don’t dabble in federal court – we fight in it all the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do federal lawyers charge in Portland?

Federal defense isn’t “cheap.” There’s no way around it. We’re talking five figure retainers at a minimum – sometimes six when discovery runs hundreds of thousands of pages, digital forensics reports, expert witnesses in accounting, psychiatry, ballistics. The truth: a cheap lawyer will cost you more in the end. Your liberty is at stake.

Should I get a lawyer for a federal case?

Absolutely. Representing yourself is suicide, plain and simple. Federal prosecutors get convictions in over 90% of cases. And Portland AUSAs are organized, trained, supervised by Washington D.C. If you take them lightly, you lose everything. Hire a law firm that gets it, before they bury you in paper.

What is a federal lawyer called?

We are defense counsel. The people trying to put you in prison? They are Assistant U.S. Attorneys. It matters that you understand the difference, because their mission is singular – a guilty verdict. Ours is singular too – your freedom.

How do I choose the best federal defense lawyer in Portland?

Find the attorney with federal trial chops, with Ninth Circuit experience, with actual wins under their belt. Credentials don’t sway juries. Experience does. We’ve had clients call us after wasting months on state-level lawyers who had no idea how discovery deadlines worked in federal practice. Don’t make that mistake. Call Spodek Law Group – where we owe loyalty to only YOU.

Defense Strategies Specific to Portland Federal Charges

I’ll be straight with you. Timing is everything in federal court. If we are in the room during the investigation, we talk to the prosecutors and investigators directly – sometimes convincing them not to indict at all. Do you understand the difference between no charge and an indictment under something like 21 U.S.C. § 846 (conspiracy to distribute drugs)? It’s night and day. Once you’re indicted, we get aggressive: motions to suppress evidence from illegal wiretaps, Daubert challenges to block unqualified experts, Brady requests to force disclosure of exculpatory material. We don’t let the government coast, ever. And if conviction looks unavoidable, we move fast to negotiate 5K1.1 cooperation agreements or departures that slash years off your sentence, we use mitigation packages, sentencing memorandums, personal narratives – tools we’ve refined in federal courts all over the country. Portland is simply another battlefield where we know the terrain.

High-Profile Cases & Media Management

Not every case in Portland stays quiet. Fraud cases involving tech startups, RICO indictments linked to Portland gangs, political protest prosecutions – they show up in the press, they hit the Oregonian, they spread fast online. And the DOJ loves that because public humiliation is another tool to flip defendants and pressure pleas. We don’t play that game. Todd Spodek’s defense of Anna Delvey, broadcast globally, is proof. We know how to manage high-profile litigation where every move in the courtroom gets repeated on Twitter an hour later. Sometimes your reputation is just as important as your sentence. We defend both – it’s that simple.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group for Portland Federal Charges

We’ve done this across the country – New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida, and now Portland. We are courtroom fighters, we are appellate lawyers, we are negotiators, and when necessary – we are wartime litigators. Many lawyers stumble in federal courts because they don’t know the statutes, they don’t know the sentencing guidelines, they don’t understand Ninth Circuit precedent. We do. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win. This is not about theory – it’s about years of fighting AUSAs, judges, and investigators with unlimited resources, and finding ways to turn odds upside down.

If you’re facing charges right now – whether you’ve just been contacted by FBI agents at your home, or you already have an indictment with your name on it – this is the time to move. Not tomorrow. Not after you think about it. The government already has a head start. Every day wasted is another day they build more against you. Don’t play with your freedom. Call Spodek Law Group. We owe loyalty only to you. And we fight until the last bell, not one second sooner.