Fort Worth Federal Defense Lawyer

Not only are federal laws and procedures different from state laws and procedures, so are federal sentencing guidelines and prison facilities. Because federal crimes violate the laws of the U.S. Government (or occur on federal property) as opposed to state or local laws and ordinances, these cases are investigated by government agencies like:

• the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI,
• the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA,
• and the Internal Revenue Service or IRS, to name a few.

These agencies have a combined reputation for being more diligent and, perhaps, more aggressive in their investigations than their state law enforcement counterparts.

What's more, the penalties and sentencing in federal cases can often be much steeper, including mandatory sentences, which in some cases means that the judge has no authority to weigh in on the matter. If you or someone you love has been charged with, or is a suspect in, a federal crime, contact the Fort Worth federal criminal defense lawyer at Alband, Lane & Balderama to assist you in all matters of your federal case.

Types of Federal Crimes

Crimes designated as federal crimes either violate federal law or occur on federal property. If a suspect's actions violate both state and federal law (but don't occur on federal property) the suspect can be prosecuted in the federal and/or state court - with no double jeopardy protection. Organized by category and subject matter, the federal criminal code contains many statutes and continues to grow as new ones are added.

Here are a few of the more common categories of federal crimes, each of which contain many types of federal violations:

• Controlled Substance Violations
• Weapons and Firearms Violations
• Fraud (bank, mail, computer, credit card, etc.)
• White Collar Crimes (fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, etc.)
• Immigration Violations
• Counterfeiting

Because of the complex nature of federal crime prosecuting procedures and penalties, Fort Worth residents charged with federal crimes might benefit most by seeking representation from a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer from Alband, Lane & Balderama. Our attorneys are skilled litigators with a thorough knowledge of the federal criminal system.