If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and need the best possible representation. At Spodek Law Group – we get it. Federal charges aren’t like state charges. They carry more weight, harsher penalties, and prosecutors who have resources you can’t even imagine. Everything you’ve worked for, your family, your freedom, can be erased in seconds if you don’t take this seriously.

We owe loyalty to only YOU. That’s who we fight for, day and night. When you’re in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte – and a federal indictment hits – it means you’re suddenly pitted against the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its investigators. That includes the FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, ATF, ICE – agencies with databases, agents, confidential informants, and budgets that dwarf whatever resources the local public defender gets. These charges aren’t amateur hour. And you can’t afford a lawyer who only dabbles in state court misdemeanors and calls that "experience." You need a law firm that gets it, really gets it, because federal law is a different world altogether.

The High Stakes of a Federal Charge in Greensboro

A Greensboro man was convicted recently – 10 years in federal prison – conspiracy to traffic narcotics. That isn’t an exception. It’s routine. In federal court, every single filing is strategic, every phone tap pre-approved, every undercover deal recorded. Compared to state court prosecutors who are sometimes juggling a dozen cases a day, federal prosecutors walk into court with months, sometimes years, of preparation behind them. They don’t indict unless they’re convinced they can win beyond a reasonable doubt. One weak witness? They replace them with three others. One piece of shaky evidence? They connect it to twenty more documents. And every single detail… matters.

I’ll be straight with you. Too many people underestimate the feds. They think "I’ve been through state court, I know the deal," but this isn’t that. This is serious. These judges in the Middle District of North Carolina aren’t interested in sob stories, they don’t care how busy your lawyer is with other cases, they demand precision. And if your lawyer doesn’t know the federal rules cold, your defense collapses before you even have a chance to explain yourself. That’s the danger.

Here’s the reality: sentences in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point cases routinely hit double digit years. I’ve personally seen fraud cases go higher than drug cases once loss amounts and enhancements are added. And once it’s federal – mercy is the exception, not the rule.

Understanding Federal Charges in Greensboro

So why is your case federal? Usually it comes down to jurisdiction. Did the alleged crime cross state lines? Was federal mail used? Did it involve online communications, bank wires, or financial institutions that fall under federal statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy), or 21 U.S.C. § 841 (controlled substances)? If so, you’re not in local Guilford County court – you’re in U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina. Most Greensboro federal defendants appear in the Winston-Salem Division courthouse. And let me tell you, those judges do not care if you’re new to federal practice. They expect elite-level advocacy from your side, period.

The prosecutors? They report to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and they have specialized divisions: the narcotics unit, white-collar division, immigration enforcement segment. They know how to coordinate with FBI Safe Streets Task Force, DEA interdiction teams running surveillance on highways like I-85, IRS criminal investigators tracing money, ICE agents doing workplace enforcement. They coordinate, they rehearse their strategy, they wait until everything is airtight before they strike.

Types of Federal Cases We See in Greensboro

• Drug Trafficking / Conspiracy – Cases charged under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846 almost always involve significant weight, interstate movement, and mandatory minimums that start at 10 years. Federal agents use wiretaps, pen registers, and confidential informants in Greensboro neighborhoods, coordinated with DEA out of Raleigh.
• Immigration Crimes – 8 U.S.C. §§ 1326 unlawful reentry indictments are filed routinely in Winston-Salem. You also see visa fraud, document fraud, trafficking allegations where ICE teams up with Homeland Security Investigations. Sometimes these cases involve entire smear campaigns targeting local employers.
• Fraud & Financial Crimes – Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), tax evasions (26 U.S.C. § 7201). The government builds these cases with spreadsheets, accountants, and expert forensic witnesses. Professionals in Greensboro – doctors, accountants, small business owners – have found themselves indicted without ever thinking they were "criminals." But to the feds, underreporting income or allegedly misleading a lender means federal prison.

Remember Anna Sorokin? Better known as “Anna Delvey.” Todd Spodek defended her in a case that became a Netflix series, watched worldwide. That was fraud at the federal level, played out under intense scrutiny. But here’s what matters – whether your case makes headlines or not, the principles are the same. The prosecutors treat it like a spotlight is on them, and their careers are riding on your conviction.

Why Federal Defense in Greensboro Requires Elite Advocacy

Federal prosecutors don’t just file cases, they construct traps. They have case agents from the FBI, IRS-CI, ATF, and DEA. They flip co-defendants, they subpoena bank records, they secretly record hundreds of phone calls and wait for small statements to use against you. The sentencing guidelines – technically “advisory” – function like quicksand. You think you know the exposure, then enhancements get stacked: role in the offense, obstruction of justice, weapons involvement, leadership role, amounts of money or quantities of narcotics – each one adds years. Suddenly what looked like 5-7 years turns into 15-20 years. I’ve seen it too many times to count.

If you gamble on inexperience here, you aren’t just risking bad lawyering, you’re risking decades. We’ve built a **rock star team** with over 50 years of combined federal experience. Trials, pre-trial motion practice, sentencing hearings, guideline departures, appeals. We’ve gone head-to-head with Assistant U.S. Attorneys nationwide – New York, California, Texas, and right here in North Carolina. And we bring those same defense strategies into Winston-Salem for Greensboro defendants.

Most local lawyers know DUIs, assaults, break-ins. Federal crimes, though, that’s a different language. We live it. We breathe it. And truthfully, it’s the kind of work where anything less than mastery will destroy you in court.

People Also Ask

How much do federal lawyers charge?

There’s no flat rule here. Fees scale with complexity. Federal cases often cost significantly more than state misdemeanors because the workload is monstrous – weeks of discovery, financial documents, digital records, expert testimony. We structure fees around the defense plan, because not every case needs the exact same resources. But here’s reality: the dangerous mistake is choosing someone cheap who isn’t qualified. That can literally cost you decades in prison.

Do I really need a lawyer for a federal indictment?

Yes. Right now. Not next week. Federal prosecutors win because they move fast, file strategic motions, and overwhelm unprepared defense counsel. If you walk in alone, you’re practically begging the government to steamroll you. An experienced federal defense lawyer can mean the difference between years inside or significant leverage in negotiations. Nobody – and I mean nobody – should face the feds without serious advocacy at their side.

What are federal defense lawyers called?

You’ll hear "federal criminal defense attorney," "federal defense lawyer," or sometimes just "federal lawyer." But be careful here: not all criminal defense attorneys practice in federal court. It requires separate admissions, specialized knowledge of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and familiarity with the Sentencing Guidelines. That’s exactly what we bring every single time.

How do you pick the best federal defense lawyer?

Look for track record. Have they fought fraud indictments? Have they cross-examined DEA agents before? Do they know how guideline enhancements work? Don’t gamble on marketing slogans, look for actual results, published cases, high-profile trials. Spodek Law Group has taken “unwinnable” federal cases – and won them. We’ve done it coast to coast. We can do it in Greensboro. We’ve handled cases that… look, the point is we win, and we win where others didn’t even bother fighting.

Federal Court Insights: Greensboro Process Explained

Here’s the typical timeline: it starts with a sealed indictment or sometimes a criminal complaint. Marshals arrest you. The first appearance happens in Winston-Salem federal court. After that: detention hearing, arraignment, discovery, motions to suppress, trial prep. Sometimes plea negotiations. Sometimes proffer sessions. It’s harsher, tighter, technical – with zero room for error. These judges expect excellence from counsel, and they won’t tolerate sloppy lawyering. That’s the truth.

Agencies active in Greensboro? The DEA runs corridor operations on I-40 and I-85, watching for drugs moving between Atlanta and Virginia. FBI Safe Streets Task Force works citywide on violent gang cases. IRS-CI investigates alleged tax evasion in Greensboro small businesses. ATF runs firearms-related stings. ICE and HSI conduct immigration sweeps. And almost every single one of those agencies finds their way into federal court here. They are present, and they are coordinated.

Beyond Drugs or Immigration: White Collar Defense

Not every case is narcotics or immigration. In Greensboro, we routinely see indictments for wire fraud, mail fraud, mortgage fraud, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, money laundering. Sometimes it’s professionals, sometimes blue collar small companies, but the penalties are devastating either way. Restitution demands wipe out personal finances. Forfeiture destroys businesses. Careers, licenses, reputations – just gone.

Todd Spodek’s defense of Anna Sorokin grabbed headlines around the world. That was white collar – fraud – under the harshest scrutiny. But let me tell you something: when your business and your name are attached to words like “fraud” or “embezzlement,” even if nobody outside Greensboro hears about it, it feels like the whole world is staring at you. We understand that weight. We counter it with strategies tailored to neutralize the government’s narrative, and to highlight the gaps, exaggerations, and shortcuts they don’t want the jury to notice.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group?

We don’t just do criminal defense. We do federal criminal defense. That is the niche. That’s the focus. We’ve been featured in The New York Times, New York Post, countless major outlets. We’ve defended national level cases, headline cases, and client after client who didn’t want the spotlight – just wanted their freedom. And we’ve delivered. Clients trust us because they’ve seen us succeed in situations everyone else wrote off as impossible.

Our loyalty is to you, and only you. Our passion, our discretion, our planning – directed solely at getting you the best possible outcome. Prosecutors treat your conviction like a career stepping stone. We treat your acquittal, your freedom, as our only mission. In federal court, pressure is the government’s weapon. Unwavering advocacy is ours.

Act Now – Protect Your Future

Here’s the part people underestimate: by the time you even see the indictment, the government already has been working against you for months or years. They’re flipping witnesses, tracing emails, digging through financial records. Waiting only helps them, never you. The time to act is today. At Spodek Law Group we’re available day or night. You call. We answer. That’s how this works. Don’t sit back thinking there’s more time. There isn’t.

We’ve defended people in situations where defeat looked unavoidable, and we found the angle, the mistake in the government’s case, the leverage to negotiate better or the opening at trial. That’s what sets us apart. If you’re under investigation or charged in Greensboro federal court, call us right now. Because your future, your freedom, your family – they’re worth more than guessing. They’re worth an experienced, elite, battle-tested federal defense. That’s Spodek Law.