If you're on our website, it's because you're facing serious federal charges – and need the best Minneapolis federal criminal lawyer who won’t back down against the government. At Spodek Law Group, we understand exactly how terrifying this moment is. A knock on the door from federal agents in Minneapolis changes everything. Unlike state charges, federal prosecutors in downtown Minneapolis come armed with unlimited resources, investigations that stretch across states, and conviction rates that hover in the 90% range. That is the system you are up against.

But here's the good news – we know how to fight federal agents, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and prosecutors who think they can steamroll you. We've done it in Minnesota’s U.S. District Court (District of Minnesota) and in federal courts nationwide. We’re not just state court attorneys dabbling in federal cases. We're a firm with 50+ years of combined experience, a true rock star team, and we’ve handled cases that carried sentences of 20, 30, even 50 years. Cases that many other lawyers said were unwinnable – but weren’t for us. We've handled cases that... look, the point is we win, because we treat every client as if it’s life-or-death – which, in federal court, it usually is.

In 2022, Netflix released a series about one of Todd Spodek’s famous clients – Anna Delvey. That case captivated the world, and it demonstrated what we've always believed: federal prosecutions are not only legal cases, they are massive stories, high-stakes moments where reputation, freedom, and future hang in the balance. This is why when you hire us, you're not just hiring a lawyer, you’re hiring a firm that gets it. Spodek Law Group owes loyalty to only YOU – never anyone else.

How Federal Charges Differ from State Offenses in Minnesota

Federal charges are not the same thing as a state case in Hennepin County Court. Understanding this difference is crucial. In Minneapolis, if you're accused of something like drug trafficking, wire fraud, money laundering, gun possession, immigration fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1546, or RICO conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 1962 – you might find yourself charged in federal court instead of state court. That means your case is prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and you'll likely be making appearances inside the Diana E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse downtown, right on 4th Street in Minneapolis.

I’ll be straight with you: state court is tough, but it’s a completely different ballgame. State court has probation, suspended sentences, community service, maybe drug treatment programs. Federal court is merciless. When the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, or Homeland Security Investigations knock on your door – it usually means they’ve already built their case with wiretaps under Title III, secretly subpoenaed your bank records, flipped one of your co-workers. They don’t arrest until they are basically certain they can win. And sentencing in Minnesota federal court is based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which are complicated math equations that rarely end in mercy. It’s prison time. Not a timeout, not probation... prison.

If you’re asking yourself what a federal criminal lawyer actually does, the truth is we become the only shield between you and the enormous machinery of the United States government. We file motions to suppress unconstitutional evidence, we cross-examine confidential informants who are usually getting sweetheart deals for lying about you, and we negotiate with federal prosecutors when it makes sense. Our role is not optional – it’s literally life-saving.

Common Federal Cases Prosecuted in Minneapolis

Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis are aggressive, and their cases make headlines. Just last year, the DOJ executed coordinated raids across multiple neighborhoods in Minneapolis tied to suspected drug and money laundering operations. Crowds gathered, rumors spread about ICE – but this wasn’t immigration enforcement, it was federal narcotics trafficking under 21 U.S.C. § 841 and financial crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 1956. Then there are the RICO indictments against accused gang members pulled into sprawling conspiracy cases that list ten murders as predicate acts of racketeering. And it doesn’t stop – white collar fraud cases targeting doctors for Medicare billing, securities fraud aimed at executives, and felon-in-possession charges under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) where just holding a gun translates into years of prison.

• Drug Trafficking & Money Laundering: Agents target narcotics operations in Minneapolis neighborhoods, charging sweeping conspiracies under §§841 and 846, adding laundering enhancements under §1956.
• RICO & Criminal Enterprise Cases: Federal prosecutors have indicted groups like the "Lows," stacking on racketeering allegations, firearms, homicides – the kind of indictments that read like novels.
• White Collar Crimes: Wire fraud (§1343), mail fraud (§1341), securities violations (§1348), and healthcare billing schemes dominate the white collar landscape in federal court here.
• Firearms Offenses: In Minneapolis, we’ve seen defendants slapped with 7+ years for one unlawful possession conviction – a federal conviction that never goes away.

And here’s what really happens: prosecutors in Minnesota use conspiracy law to rope in people who didn’t even touch the drugs or wire money themselves but “furthered the conspiracy” by answering phones or letting someone stash money in their apartment. Suddenly – you’re tagged with the same mandatory minimums as the so-called kingpin. That’s federal criminal law. It’s not fair, but fairness isn’t what they’re selling.

Federal Sentencing in Minneapolis: What You’re Up Against

Here’s reality – federal charges in Minneapolis drag you into the world of federal sentencing guidelines, enhancements, criminal history points, and statutory minimums. It’s a numbers game, a cold one. The judges in District of Minnesota technically have discretion, but most use the guidelines as the starting point. This means your “base offense level” for something like fraud can balloon because of relevant conduct, obstruction enhancements, amount of money, number of victims – all of this piles on. In drug cases, the weight and the type of controlled substance determine mandatory floors that judges cannot go below unless there’s a very narrow safety valve exception.

Probation is virtually unheard of. Just to put it perspective – we’ve seen repeat offenders get over seven years for one loaded firearm in the wrong person’s hand. In white collar matters, number-crunching can transform what looks like a theft of $200,000 into a potential 8-10 year guideline range with enhancements. And loss amounts? They are not what you think; the government calculates “intended loss,” which means even if you didn’t actually cause $2 million in loss, if they allege you intended to, it counts. That’s the trap. Judges then look at that fake number and hammer you.

The Federal Process in Minneapolis: From Indictment to Trial

Federal investigations start quietly. You may not know for months, sometimes years. By the time you know, it’s too late to stop the indictment. The FBI and DEA have already compiled thousands of pages, confidential sources, Title III wiretaps. Then one morning – it explodes. Agents knock and suddenly you are standing in front of a magistrate judge in the Diana E. Murphy Courthouse, downtown Minneapolis, hearing charges you barely understand being read line by line.

From there the federal system moves fast. Initial appearance, detention hearing, bond arguments, arraignment, discovery deadlines, suppression motions, pretrial. Each stage matters, and each mistake costs months or years of your life. Our job at Spodek Law Group is to slow this down, intervene early, buy time, fight back. We hit the government on constitutional grounds, challenge search warrants that lack probable cause, dissect cell tower data, expose unreliability of CI testimony. We file motions other lawyers gloss over because they think nothing can be won in federal court – but those small wins matter.

Will every case go to trial? No. With conviction rates hovering above 90%, federal prosecutors know they hold leverage, cooperation deals are dangled like carrots, and many people fold. But here’s the difference with us: we’re trial-ready, which means when we negotiate, it’s from a position of fearlessness. AUSAs know if they don’t give us a deal worth taking, they’re in for a brutal, public fight. And that leverage is everything.

Cost, Value, and Selecting the Right Minneapolis Federal Lawyer

I’ll level with you–federal criminal defense isn’t cheap. There’s no sugarcoating that. Clients call and ask: how much does a federal lawyer charge? There’s no fixed answer. A one-defendant conspiracy case resolved in 6 months is not the same thing as a sprawling 24-defendant RICO case with overlapping trials, superseding indictments, and years of litigation. Fees depend on scope, time, exposure. But what we remind clients is simple: your freedom, your family, your career – the things you’ve built – they cost more than any legal bill you’ll ever pay. Being “cheap” on defense is gambling with everything.

Some clients ask: what is a federal lawyer called? Federal criminal defense attorney, technically. At Spodek Law Group, we call ourselves defenders of your future. Because that’s what this truly is – it’s not just law, it’s survival. Hire one lawyer, you get one lawyer. Hire us, you get Todd Spodek, a strategy team, outside investigative resources, former federal agents we bring in to pick apart the government’s case, trial lawyers who know how to shake cross-examinations. That’s the difference that keeps families together instead of torn apart.

Why Choose Spodek Law Group for Minneapolis Federal Defense

Nationwide Experience, Local Knowledge. We’ve gone up against prosecutors in federal courts coast-to-coast. But we also know Minnesota’s District Court, its judges, clerks, AUSAs, even the jury pool dynamics unique to Minneapolis-St. Paul. And that matters more than you think. It’s not just theory – it’s experience in this courthouse, this district, these hallways.

Federal Trial Experience. Drug conspiracies, RICO indictments, money laundering spanning continents, white collar cases involving Fortune 500 executives – we’ve fought them. These aren’t hypotheticals or marketing fluff. They’re our reality every single week.

High-Profile Cases. Most Minneapolis firms haven’t handled the heat of cameras, of reporters sitting in court, of a story trending on social media. We have. Todd Spodek represented Anna Delvey – a case that dominated headlines worldwide, a Netflix series level of publicity. If we can do that under global scrutiny, trust us, we can handle a fraud indictment in Minneapolis federal court without flinching.

Client Focused. We pick up our phones 24/7. That’s not marketing copy – it’s survival. Federal cases escalate at 1 a.m. when agents hit houses, when clients are yanked from bed. We jump in fast, with loyalty only to you. Spodek Law Group works for you – not for the government, not for public opinion, not for anyone else. Just you. Always you.

Call to Action: Protect Your Future Today

If you, or someone you care about, is staring down federal charges in Minneapolis – now is the moment to make the call. Every day prosecutors add evidence, every day agents flip a new cooperator, every day your defense window shrinks. The time to act is immediately. Don’t wait for the next shoe to drop. Don’t assume things will calm down. They won’t.

Call Spodek Law Group today. Our Minneapolis federal criminal defense team is ready to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, stand between you and the most powerful government in the world, and fight. Federal prosecutors may enjoy endless resources – but we have loyalty, grit, and decades of relentless strategy. The choice is yours: stand alone, or hire a law firm that gets it. Hire us.