If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and you need a federal criminal lawyer who gets it. At Spodek Law Group we don’t play games with your freedom. A single knock on the door in Henderson by an FBI agent, a DEA task force, an ATF supervisor, or even the IRS Criminal Investigations unit can flip your entire life, your job, your family, everything – overnight. Federal prosecutions are not like state-level charges. They come at you with unlimited resources, special agents who’ve been building your case for months (sometimes years), sentencing guidelines designed to trap defendants, and prosecutors who measure careers by how many decades of your life they can lock away. That’s why you hire a law firm that gets it. Spodek Law Group owes loyalty to only YOU – not the government, not the press, not anyone else trying to write your story for you.

And look, it’s not abstract. We’ve seen it right here in Vance County and Henderson. In August 2024, Cedric Neal – a Henderson local – was hit with 138 months in federal prison for armed drug trafficking. We've also seen federal sweeps grabbing folks for meth trafficking, cocaine conspiracies, and combining them with “possession of a firearm in furtherance” charges that automatically stack years. Don't think it only happens in "big cities" like New York. Federal agencies are in your backyard. They are active here, and the consequences are life-altering.

Federal Charges in Henderson: Key Enforcement Patterns

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina runs these prosecutions. They don’t just show up randomly. They coordinate investigations with DEA, FBI, ATF, and IRS-CI. They work with SBI, local sheriffs, and sometimes even postal inspectors. When they want bigger penalties, when they want mandatory firearm enhancements under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), they scoop the case into federal court. Local Henderson cases have shown clear pattersn:

• Methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracies – simple street-level drug buys balloon into federal conspiracy charges under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846, exposing you to 10 years mandatory minimums.
• Firearms linked to drugs – Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), having a gun “in furtherance of” trafficking means an automatic 5 years consecutive – no parole, no shortcuts.
• Fraud investigations – Wire fraud (§ 1343), mail fraud (§ 1341), tax fraud under Title 26 – we have all seen the wave of PPP loan prosecutions in Eastern NC.

These cases aren’t just about you. Federal prosecutors love to tie individuals into larger “operations” – RICO indictments, multiple defendant conspiracies – even if your role was smaller. They handpick which cases to bundle, so your small case may suddenly become part of a mega indictment running across states. Truth is, that’s terrifying for most people. And that’s why you need a legal team who knows all the traps inside federal statutes.

Federal vs. State Charges in Henderson

Here’s what Henderson residents must realize. Vance County Superior Court and a local DA case is nothing like federal court. It’s apples and oranges. In state, a local prosecutor may push probation for first time possession. In federal court, under USSG §2D1.1, even a modest drug weight can suddenly calculate to years in prison, plus supervised release, plus forfeiture of property. Evidence rules are different – wiretaps under Title III, GPS tracking, 404(b) “other bad acts” evidence. And discovery is slanted, because prosecutors don’t have to turn over as much as state rules sometimes require.

Example: United States v. Henderson, No. 22‑4447 (4th Cir. 2025) – acquitted of one firearm count, convicted on conspiracy. This happens all the time. Even if the government can’t prove you were the “big dealer,” conspiracy law operates on shared liability. So if a co-defendant dealt 500 grams, you’re stuck with 500 grams. That's federal reality. One count dismissed doesn’t mean freedom. It means a partial win inside a storm.

People Also Ask

Should I get a lawyer for a federal case? – Yes, without question. Federal court is not where inexperienced counsel learns on the job. A dabbling state lawyer will not cut it. You need defense attorneys who live and breathe federal statutes, sentencing guidelines, suppression motions, CIPA issues – all of it.

Common Federal Cases in Henderson

We defend all varieties of federal cases coming from Henderson and broader Eastern North Carolina:

• Drug Conspiracies: Cocaine, meth, fentanyl. Prosecutors use 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846 because it makes conspiracy liability easier and sweeps up everyone, even the small guy.
• Firearm Offenses: 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), § 924(c), § 924(e) (ACCA). Five years stacked, ten years stacked, sometimes fifteen – depending on priors and enhancements. Brutal if you don’t fight them.
• White Collar Cases: Bank fraud, securities fraud, tax fraud (26 U.S.C. § 7201). Teachers, executives, business owners in Henderson have been charged. Todd Spodek represented Anna Delvey (Sorokin). That became a Netflix series. That case shows something simple: fraud indictments don’t just threaten money, they can demolish careers, reputations, everything you built.
• RICO and Conspiracy: 18 U.S.C. § 1962. Prosecutors exaggerate with RICO because it gives leverage, lets them pull small stuff into bigger indictments.

Don’t believe the line that federal court is only for New York mobsters or Los Angeles fraudsters. The truth? Henderson sees plenty of people charged with federal narcotics offenses, guns, and PPP/tax cases every single year.

What to Expect in Federal Court (Eastern District of North Carolina)

Most Vance County federal cases go to the Raleigh or New Bern divisions. You’ll appear before judges who take strict compliance with rules very seriously. Pretrial detention hearings can be brutal – one minor prior can lock you inside without bond, under 18 U.S.C. § 3142. Bail in federal isn’t like state. There isn’t even "bail" – it’s release or detention. Sentencing? That’s a nightmare if you don’t understand Guidelines. Enhancements for leadership, for firearms, for obstruction, for drug weight. One PSR mistake can add five years.

We know the judges, the probation officers, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the hidden rules that don’t show up in law books but matter in practice. Federal procedure is unforgiving, and you need a defense team that has the patience to untangle it. Spodek Law Group has more than 50 years of combined real-world courtroom experience. We’re not afraid to go to trial when others fold too quickly. Our rock star team stands between you and a prison term measured in decades.

Cost, Value, and Experience in Federal Cases

People Also Ask

How much do lawyers charge for federal cases? – Honestly, no cookie-cutter answer. A straightforward one-defendant wire fraud might fall tens of thousands, but a twenty-defendant meth conspiracy with 20 terabytes of discovery can cost multiples of that. Anyone giving you a “flat fee for federal trial” without understanding complexity? They don’t get it, plain and simple.

What are federal lawyers called? – Federal criminal defense attorneys, admitted in federal court. You don’t want someone testing waters. You want somebody who’s already swimming laps with sharks.

Which lawyer wins the most cases? – I’ll be straight with you: there is no public scoreboard. Winning may mean total acquittal, or it might mean suppressing evidence, dismantling enhancements, or negotiating a plea that saves 15 years. We’ve handled cases that... look, the point is we win when it matters, in ways people often don’t see until they’re free.

You’re not just buying hours or billables. You’re buying a defense team that knows where others collapse. Our value is experience – measured in actual lives defended. With 50+ years combined experience, we guard your liberty. That’s our core promise. We owe loyalty only to you. Nobody else.

High-Stakes Penalties: Why Strategy Matters

Think about the sentences. Henderson resident – 138 months. Others face 10 years, 15 years, 20 years. Fraud cases? Could be 30+ depending on loss amounts. RICO? Even life. That’s the game federal prosecutors want to play. They start from the top. They stack charges, enhancements, and mandatory minimums. Their playbook is to scare you into cooperating, into pleading out. Without a smart approach, you’ll drown.

But here’s the thing. There are paths. Suppression motions under the 4th Amendment. Challenges to wiretaps. Fighting “in furtherance” language under § 924(c). Negotiating pleas that dodge mandatory firearms or stack counts the right way. Every case has angles. It takes seasoned federal defenders to see them. You walk in blind? You’re done.

I’m blunt about it: federal prosecutors aren’t joking around, they’re not forgiving, they prepare for trial with an army of resources. If your lawyer isn’t equally prepared, you will feel it. That’s why you need us. We stand between you and decades inside Bureau of Prisons walls.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group for Henderson Federal Defense

We are nationally recognized federal defense attorneys. You’ll see us in courts across the country. We’ve won cases people assumed were unwinnable – high-level narcotics conspiracies, firearms indictments under § 924(c), white collar fraud cases splashed across headlines. Todd Spodek himself defended Anna Sorokin (Anna Delvey) in a case that exploded on Netflix. That trial was proof of how we operate: defending aggressively, fighting narratives, and not bowing to public pressure.

So why choose us here in Henderson? Because we understand the landscape. We’ve studied the Eastern District’s prosecutors. We know the investigative methods DEA uses in Vance County, how ATF stacks firearms counts, how IRS-CI builds tax cases. We combine local insight with national reach. You are not just getting a lawyer – you’re hiring a law firm that gets it.

If you or someone you love is facing federal charges in Henderson, do not wait for the next shoe to drop. Call Spodek Law Group today. We defend the hardest federal cases in the nation – from drugs, firearms, fraud, RICO – with over 50 years of combined experience and a reputation that speaks for itself.