Dallas Bank Fraud Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

| by Max Soni

Last Updated on: 30th September 2025, 09:32 pm

Dallas Bank Fraud Federal Lawyer – Defense in Northern & Eastern Districts of Texas

If you’re on our website, it’s because you’re dealing with something terrifying – federal bank fraud charges, maybe rumors of an indictment, maybe a subpoena hit your mailbox last week – and now you’re trying to figure out if there’s a way to stop this avalanche before it destroys everything. At Spodek Law Group, we don’t just practice in this space, we live it. We know the federal courtrooms in Dallas County, Sherman, Plano, and beyond. We know how prosecutors frame you under statutes like 18 U.S.C. §1344, 18 U.S.C. §1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. §1014 (false statements to financial institutions), and even money laundering under 18 U.S.C. §1956 tacked on to bank fraud. These aren’t minor issues – they’re stacked charges that can create sentencing exposure that can bury someone alive.

You’re not just up against a district attorney; you’re staring down the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas or in some cases the Eastern District of Texas. And they don’t come with light arsenals – they come with FBI case agents, with IRS–CI accountants breaking down every number, sometimes even FDIC-OIG special agents pouring through your loan files. They’ve got resources most defendants can’t even imagine. And they hammer Dallas residents hard. No mercy, no softness, a conviction they can brag about in a DOJ press release – that’s the game for them.

We’ve fought these battles. When Todd Spodek represented Anna Sorokin (Anna Delvey), the fraud trial that turned into a Netflix phenomenon, it wasn’t about fame – it was about showing we can dissect the government’s version of a story line by line, document by document, and change the outcome when everyone tells you “it’s over.” That’s the same energy we bring into the Earle Cabell Federal Building at 1100 Commerce Street in Dallas where most of these cases are tried. It’s not TV. It’s your life on the line, and the seriousness can’t be overstated.

What is Federal Bank Fraud? (18 U.S.C. §1344)

The actual law – it’s pretty short but devastating in scope. 18 U.S.C. §1344 criminalizes two things: (1) knowingly executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud a financial institution, or (2) obtaining money, assets, funds, etc., owned by or under the custody of a financial institution, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. In practice, Dallas prosecutors slap this on alleged loan application fraud, PPP loan fraud, false mortgage docs, anything where a federally insured bank (virtually all do FDIC insurance) is on the losing end.

Conviction? Each count carries up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Per count. Stack three charges – suddenly you’re looking at 90 years potential exposure although sentencing guidelines soften it. But still, even guideline numbers get scary, and federal judges follow them closely. It’s not like state court where probation gets handed out often. Here probation is rare, nearly exotic unless mitigation is airtight.

Other statutes often ride shotgun with bank fraud: 18 U.S.C. §371 (conspiracy), 18 U.S.C. §1349 (attempt and conspiracy to commit fraud), and forfeiture statutes under 18 U.S.C. §§981 and 982. So you think you’re charged with one thing – but really you’re dealing with five or six overlapping codes that all tie into the same alleged acts.

That’s why you hire a firm like ours. We know every statute, every enhancement guideline, every aggravating factor. And we know how Dallas judges interpret them, which matters as much as the case law itself.

Who Investigates Bank Fraud in Dallas?

Let’s be clear. The FBI Dallas Field Office is the leader on nearly all local bank fraud investigations. You’ll see “Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation” on most criminal complaints. But they do not work alone. Often, the IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) division jumps in if they think tax filings or laundering moved along with the fraud. The FDIC Office of Inspector General is another presence—quiet but stubborn—when the case involves insured losses. And yes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is calling the shots, deciding indictment strategy, pushing for plea deals stacked with years.

Sometimes even the SBA OIG (Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General) inserts itself if the fraud touches PPP loans. The point is: this is not one agent with a notepad. This is a multi-agency swarm. They have months, sometimes years, to get the evidence lined up before you know you’re under investigation. By the time you feel it, they’ve already been watching, subpoenaing bank records, flipping co-defendants, timing calls. Think about that before you decide to “wait and see.”

Recent Dallas Federal Bank Fraud Cases

I’ll be straight with you about bank fraud cases: Dallas has been a hotbed. Judges here have no hesitation putting professionals, small business owners, average middle-class defendants into custody. They’re setting examples. In the last two years, we’ve seen multiple indictments announced by DOJ press offices targeting the Northern and Eastern Districts.

• Sherman Case 2024: A Dallas realtor was accused of overstating income and assets to secure real estate loans – prosecutors sold the jury on intent, not negligence. Result: federal prison. The number wasn’t huge – hundreds of thousands, not millions – yet he still lost his freedom.
• Connections cases: National wire fraud case in Iowa pulled in multiple Dallas bank accounts. That shows how jurisdiction works: if Dallas is part of the money trail, prosecutors pull the threads right into a Texas courtroom.
• PPP loan fraud fallout: We’ve seen several Dallas-area indictments blending bank fraud with SBA fraud under §1344 and §1014. Defendants thought their fake payroll submissions were small-time, but because federally insured banks administered the loans—boom—bank fraud felonies, many landing double-digit sentences.

And that’s just DOJ press releases. Quietly, dozens of plea deals never make headlines but destroy lives. Ten, fifteen years in custody. Families ripped apart. Local businesses collapsing. Credit ruined forever. We’ve handled bank fraud cases that… look, the point is we win when others think it’s unwinnable, but the risk you face is deadly serious.

How Long Do You Go to Jail for Bank Fraud in Dallas?

Technically, we said it—30 years max per count. Realistic sentences depend mostly on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Those guidelines are loss-driven. Under $100k? Possible downward departures. Millions in alleged losses? Then enhancements stack like blocks: number of victims, sophisticated means, leadership role, obstruction of justice. Each one tacks months or years. Before you know it, your exposure is 15–20 years in real federal prison, not probation, not weekends-only custody, not ankle monitors.

I get it. People search online asking: “How long do you go to jail for federal fraud?” “Is bank fraud a felony in Texas?” The answers are brutally simple. Bank fraud is federal, not state, so you’re in a different league. And Dallas federal judges like Senior Judge Lindsay, Judge Boyle, Judge Fish – they don’t treat fraud lightly. Probation is technically possible, but the climate right now? Unlikely. DOJ wants harsh sentences to send a message. And press releases bragging about it, too.

Federal Defense Strategies for Bank Fraud Cases in Dallas

We hammer this point into all prospective clients: you need us early. If you wait until indictment – you’ve lost half the fight. Early means when you get a target letter, when FBI agents “just want to talk,” when you’re subpoenaed before a grand jury. That’s when we can try to stop an avalanche, maybe negotiate pre-indictment with an Assistant U.S. Attorney and carve out a much better path.

• Intent is everything: Prosecutors need to prove you knowingly schemed to defraud. We bring in experts, documents, sometimes your accountants and lenders, to show negligence or misunderstanding instead of criminal intent. That difference is the line between career setback and prison.
• Pre-indictment negotiations: We’ve successfully gotten charges reduced before indictments dropped. Sometimes prosecutors want cooperation, sometimes restitution, but they’ll bend if we come prepared early.
• Sentencing advocacy: If plea is inevitable – we don’t just roll over. We build 100+ page mitigation packages, character statements, compliance programs. It matters. Judges consider it. We’ve cut exposure down drastically that way.

We’ve been told “there’s no chance.” We’ve made chances happen anyway. That’s the real world of federal defense in Texas.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group for Dallas Federal Bank Fraud?

We’re not local players. We’re a nationally recognized defense firm with over 50 years combined experience on heavy federal fraud cases. Dallas, Sherman, Fort Worth, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Miami, Los Angeles – we’ve fought in all of them. Always the same fight: defendant vs entire federal government. And here’s the truth – we don’t fold, we don’t shy away, we take on cases other lawyers are too scared or too green to handle.

When you hire us, you hire a law firm that gets it. Not the press, not the public, not anyone but the client. Because honestly, many state-level attorneys in Texas have no idea how hard the federal government hits. They misjudge sentencing enhancements. They don’t see traps in plea agreements. They miss loopholes on loss calculations. They don’t know the personalities of federal judges here, which matters more than some textbook “rule.” We don’t make those mistakes. We’ve got ex-prosecutors in our circle, veteran defenders, people who know inside and out how the DOJ works behind closed doors.

And yeah, Todd Spodek’s work on Anna Sorokin’s defense showed the world we thrive in high profile matters. But what matters more here? The skills, the spotlight-tested composure, the comfort with financial fraud allegations that crush ordinary lawyers. That’s what makes Dallas clients hire us when their lives are coming apart under §1344 indictments.

Protect Your Future Right Now

The federal courthouse doors at 1100 Commerce Street in Dallas aren’t forgiving. Neither is the courthouse in Sherman for Eastern District cases. Neither is the U.S. Attorney’s Office that’s gearing up to put your face in their next “successful conviction” headline. Look, you can’t outwait this. It doesn’t just go away. Every day you delay, prosecutors build stronger walls against you.

Here’s our bottom line, maybe I’m rambling but it’s because I’ve seen too many families broken by this: federal bank fraud is career-ender, life-destroyer, family destroyer. The media reports splashy stories, but behind those are spouses crying in courtrooms, kids who don’t get why a parent is gone, businesses that shutter forever. Unless you have a law firm pushing back every single step – fighting guidelines, challenging intent, negotiating with hardball prosecutors – you’re on track for devastation.

Call us, right now. Talk directly with a federal bank fraud defense lawyer who’s already fought cases in Northern and Eastern District of Texas. We’ll pick up the phone ourselves. We’ll stand up in court by your side. We’ll fight like your life depends on it – because it does.

Spodek Law Group – Federal Bank Fraud Defense Lawyers. Dallas, Texas. Loyalty only to you.