If you're on our website, it's because you're staring down federal charges – not whispers, not rumors – actual federal prosecutors who already believe they’ve got your case tied up. That’s why you’re here. Because you know this isn’t the time for an average lawyer, this is the time for a defense strategy that hits harder than anything the U.S. Attorney’s Office expected. We live in this world every day, and we know what’s at stake.

At Spodek Law Group, we’ve been defending people against federal indictments for decades – over 50 years combined experience. You don’t keep winning in this space unless you actually deliver, unless you tear apart supposed “airtight” cases and expose flaws prosecutors hoped you’d never spot. And let me be clear, our loyalty isn’t divided. Not to the judge, not to the system, not to media headlines. 100% to you. That’s it.

The High Stakes of Federal Charges in Des Moines

When someone in Des Moines gets indicted federally – it's not a slap on the wrist situation. We’re talking Title 18, Title 21, the U.S. Code. Section 841 for narcotics, 846 for conspiracies, 922 and 924(c) for firearms, 1343 for wire fraud, 7201 and 7206 for IRS tax prosecutions. The Southern District of Iowa enforces these statutes aggressively. And there’s no parole in the federal system. You serve real time.

Look at recent cases: a Des Moines man blasted with 25 years for meth and a gun. Two separate fentanyl conspiracy indictments where defendants never even touched the drugs, but conspiracy law brought them in anyway. That’s what “federal” means here. You don’t skate by. The prosecutors are career professionals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who wake up every day with one mission: put people behind bars with the longest sentences possible. And they use FBI wiretaps, DEA controlled buys, IRS audits, ATF firearms tracing – all woven into a neat little package they’ll call “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

I’ll be straight with you: the feds rarely indict unless they’re confident. By the time you’re reading a press release about an arrest in Des Moines, that investigation’s been alive for months, sometimes years. Wire intercepts, confidential informants, financial tracking, grand jury subpoenas – by indictment day, they already believe they’re three steps ahead.

Federal vs State Charges – Why Des Moines Defendants Need to Care

State charges? They can wreck your life too. But federal is another universe. Here’s how: penalties aren’t just harsher – they’re designed to bury you. Ten-year mandatory minimums on drug weight. Mandatory consecutive sentences for firearm counts under 924(c). One enhancement can turn a five-year case into forty years, no exaggeration.

The courtroom itself is different. You’re not in Polk County. You’re in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, typically before Chief Judge Stephanie Rose, or Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, or Judge Charles Wolle. Judges who apply the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines with precision. Prosecutors who don’t flinch. Trials that are streamlined, brutal, and leave defendants who didn’t prepare correctly crushed by sentencing reports. And the investigations? By the time you see an indictment, FBI, DEA, IRS Criminal Investigations, and ATF – at least two of them have touched your file already.

You cannot downplay this distinction. And you absolutely cannot roll into federal court with someone dabbling in DUIs. You need a law firm that gets it – from suppression motions, to Rule 16 discovery, to challenging guideline enhancements, to negotiating with Assistant U.S. Attorneys who already believe they’ve got you nailed. This is a knife fight in a locked room, and if you don't have counsel who knows the terrain, you're already bleeding out.

Common Federal Cases in Des Moines

In Des Moines federal court right now, we’re seeing recurring themes:

• Drug Conspiracies – Fentanyl is everywhere. Doesn’t matter if you handled a minor role, the conspiracy law under Title 21 pulls you in. We’ve watched countless locals stunned when they realize they’re accountable for the entire network, not just their piece.
• Firearm Enhancements – Guns make everything worse. Period. The second prosecutors can tie a firearm to your alleged drug activity, they’re slapping 924(c) counts on top of everything else.
• White Collar and Tax Cases – IRS-CI agents showing up in West Des Moines to investigate federal embezzlement and payroll tax fraud. Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. 1343), mail fraud (1341), securities violations. Suddenly people’s reputations, not just their liberty, are in the crosshairs.
• Child Exploitation & Internet Crimes – We don’t sugarcoat: Homeland Security Investigations and FBI are monitoring computers and servers, and federal courts in Des Moines are prosecuting aggressively under 18 U.S.C. § 2252.

We've handled cases that span all of these—and look, the point is we win when it matters. Not every time, but more than enough when everyone else thinks it’s unwinnable.

FAQs – Questions We Get From Clients

How much do federal lawyers charge?

Honestly, if someone drops a flat quote without even hearing details, that’s a red flag. Federal defense isn’t cookie cutter. A simple tax indictment is not the same as a 12-defendant drug conspiracy. And if someone tells you otherwise, they’re selling you a fantasy. Cost matters, yes. But the reality – losing costs way more. Years off your life, your reputation, your freedom.

Should I get a lawyer for federal case?

No hesitation here. Yes. Absolutely. AUSAs are not public defenders juggling 200 cases. They specialize in convictions. And unlike state matters, you’re facing structured sentencing, mandatory minimums, no parole. You cannot outsmart the system solo.

What's a federal lawyer even called?

You’re looking at one – a federal criminal defense attorney. Someone admitted to practice in the Southern District of Iowa, licensed to go toe-to-toe inside federal court. The title matters less than the results, though.

How do I pick the right one?

Listen, don’t make this fancy. Track record, strategy, passion. Has your lawyer handled sentencings under the U.S. Guidelines Manual? Do they know the tendencies of Judge Jarvey versus Judge Ebinger? Have they negotiated with the same AUSAs already? That insider understanding is huge, and if your attorney can’t answer these questions rapidly, you’re gambling with decades.

The Netflix Case – And Why It Matters to You

You’ve probably heard of Anna Delvey – Anna Sorokin – the New York socialite who ended up with a Netflix series. Todd Spodek stood beside her in one of the most high-pressure trials in modern media. Every news outlet watching, the world analyzing every tactical move. That defense wasn’t just about evidence, it was about strategy under crushing pressure. And that’s exactly the intensity we bring whether your case headlines in the Wall Street Journal or stays completely under wraps in Des Moines. We go hard. No matter what.

Strategic Defense in Des Moines Federal Court

Here’s what really happens: when federal agents knock on your door – DEA in jackets, FBI saying they’ve got a warrant – your life flips in seconds. We’ve had calls at 3 AM where IRS-CI agents showed up for a tax raid. That’s when everything starts. And if you call us fast enough, we can intervene, suppress illegally obtained evidence, and sometimes, sometimes, stop an indictment before it’s filed.

Strategy means running pretrial litigation aggressively in some cases – challenging Title III wiretap evidence, demanding a Franks hearing for false statements in a warrant affidavit, fighting relevant conduct enhancements at sentencing. In other cases, it means working quietly behind the scenes so charges never make it public. We have the toolbox for both. That’s the Spodek difference.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group in Des Moines

We’ve built a reputation because we fight, not just show up. Over 50 years combined, our rock star team has handled racketeering, narcotics conspiracies, computer crimes, complex financial investigations. We know how prosecutors in Iowa operate. Which AUSAs bend on plea deals, which try their cases to the bitter end. Which federal judges tend to apply “downward departures” and which lean heavy on enhancements under Chapter Two of the Guidelines.

We’re not perfect. We’re human, and part of that is telling you honestly: this is going to be rough. But we’re in it fully, every motion, every objection, every enhancement the government tries to add. We’re going to fight it. That’s loyalty. That’s intensity. That’s Spodek Law Group – and let me be crystal clear again – our loyalty is only to you, nothing else, never diluted by politics or PR games.

Act Now – Time Matters More in Federal Court

Federal prosecutors already got the head start. They’ve had your calls, your texts, your bank statements for months. And every week you wait, they’re building tighter cases. You don’t sit and hope, you take control by bringing in a national federal defense team now. Our lines are open 24/7, and when you call, you’ll actually talk to us. Not intake clerks fumbling around. Real lawyers. Real strategy.

In Des Moines right now, lives are being turned upside down with a single grand jury decision. If you even suspect, even have a whisper, that you’re the target of an investigation – call. Protect yourself. Protect your family. Protect your future. We promise you this: Spodek Law Group will fight federal prosecutors with everything we’ve got, every ounce of strategy we know, and every bit of firepower a national law firm brings into the Southern District of Iowa.