Have federal prosecutors charged you with a crime? If so, you could be facing the prospect of serious penalties that put your freedom and future at risk. Federal law enforcement officials and prosecutors have substantial resources to investigate crimes and pursue convictions. Hiring a legal team with extensive experience in the federal criminal justice system is critical to leveling the playing field.

Since 2016, Parker Trial Law has offered dedicated, vigorous legal representation to clients facing federal charges in Alabama and nationwide. Led by nationally recognized criminal trial lawyer James W. Parkman, III, our attorneys have a proven track record of success serving as lead counsel in criminal trials in over 20 jurisdictions and handling high-stakes cases in both state and federal courts. We offer uncompromising legal representation that doesn’t back down from a trial. At the same time, we treat every client who walks through our doors like family, striving to build meaningful relationships that continue long after their case ends.

So, if you’re facing federal criminal charges, don’t leave your reputation, freedom, and future to chance. Contact Parker Trial Law for a free initial case review with an experienced Alabama federal crime attorney to discuss your legal options in detail.

What Are Frequently Committed Federal Crimes?

At Parker Trial Law, a seasoned federal criminal defense lawyer can help you resolve serious charges involving some of the most common federal crimes, such as the following.

White Collar Offenses
White-collar crimes refer to offenses that involve the use of fraud, deceit, or misuse of authority or confidence, usually to gain money, property, or some other advantage or benefit. Common examples of white-collar offenses include:

  • Embezzlement
  • Money laundering
  • Identity theft
  • Credit card fraud
  • Bribery,
  • Insurance fraud
  • Mortgage fraud
  • Bankruptcy fraud
  • Healthcare fraud

Kidnapping
Under federal criminal law, a person commits the crime of kidnapping by unlawfully seizing, confining, abducting, or carrying away a person, usually for ransom or reward, when:

  • Transporting that person through interstate or foreign commerce
  • Through the mail
  • On federal property or territory
  • The person is a foreign official, internationally protected person, or federal official or employee engaged in their official duties

Bank Robbery
Federal law defines the offense of bank robbery as taking or attempting to take any money or property of value from a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association via intimidation, force, violence, or extortion.

Tax Evasion
Federal law makes it a crime to willfully attempt to evade or defeat any tax imposed by the Internal Revenue Code or fail to pay any tax due.

Counterfeiting
Federal counterfeiting statutes outlaw the production, distribution/sale, or possession of counterfeit U.S. currency or securities or any materials, equipment, or electronic data used to counterfeit U.S. currency or securities.

Immigration Offenses
Violating certain immigration laws can subject a foreign citizen to deportation and criminal prosecution, including offenses like marriage fraud to secure immigration benefits or providing false information on an immigration application.

Child Pornography
Federal child pornography laws make it illegal for a person to mail, transport, or ship child pornography through the mail or interstate/foreign commerce or to access or possess child pornography on federal territory or property.

Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking is the transportation or shipping of illegal controlled substances into the U.S. from outside the country, across state lines, or via the U.S. Postal Service.

How Do I Know That I Am Under Investigation?

Quick action is critical to building the most effective defense possible. In many cases, by preparing and pursuing a criminal defense early in federal authorities’ investigation, a suspect can avoid the stress and embarrassment of an arrest and arraignment by proactively establishing their innocence. However, some federal criminal suspects may not realize they’ve fallen under investigation until they are arrested and indicted. With that in mind, here are some red flags to watch out for that might suggest you’re under investigation:

  • You receive unsolicited phone calls or visits to your home or business from federal law enforcement officials.
  • These officials may begin asking you questions or suggest scheduling a time for you to come to their offices to answer questions.
  • You notice unusual activity on your social media accounts, such as connection requests from people you do not know.
  • You notice individuals or vehicles following you or surveilling your home or business.
  • Your family members, friends, or acquaintances are detained, arrested, or questioned by federal law enforcement officials.
  • Federal investigators contact your family members, friends, or employer to ask questions about you.
  • Federal law enforcement officials request or subpoena your financial records from your bank or other financial institutions.
  • Federal investigators execute search warrants on your home or place of business.
  • You receive a subpoena for documents.

In a few cases, federal prosecutors may send a “target letter,” which formally advises an individual that they have become the subject of a criminal investigation.

What Should I Do If Agents from the FBI, DEA, or OIG Visit My Alabama Business or Home?

Agents may visit your home or place of business, asking to speak with you or inviting you to come to their offices to answer questions or give a statement. Alternatively, the agents may have a warrant authorizing them to search your home or business for criminal evidence.

If the agents want to ask you questions, remember that you have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer the investigators’ questions. You may politely and firmly inform the agents that you do not want to ask questions. Don’t think that you can clear up any suspicions or “talk your way out” of an arrest or criminal charges. Federal law enforcement agents are trained to interrogate suspects and know how to ask questions to get you to make incriminating statements.

If federal agents come to your home or business to execute a search warrant, do not attempt to interfere with the search, as doing so may constitute a separate criminal offense. Remember to obtain a copy of the search warrant describing the places the agents will search and the items the court has authorized them to seize.

As soon as the interaction or search is over, contact an Alabama federal crime lawyer from Parker Trial Law immediately. An attorney can advise you regarding your legal rights and options during a search or potential questioning and protect your interests should agents search your home or business.

What Should I Do When I Receive a Grand Jury Subpoena?

Most federal criminal cases begin when a grand jury indicts a defendant. During a grand jury proceeding, federal prosecutors will present the grand jury with the government’s evidence to convince the grand jury that probable cause exists to indict the defendant with federal crimes.

If you receive a grand jury subpoena, you can protect your rights by consulting an experienced Dothan criminal defense lawyer from Parker Trial Law. Although a subpoena technically requires you to appear at a grand jury hearing, you and your attorney can file a motion with the court to quash the subpoena. A criminal defense lawyer can advocate for your rights that a grand jury subpoena may jeopardize, such as your Fifth Amendment right not to give incriminating testimony.

What Are Potential Defense Strategies in Federal Court?

Depending on the federal charges you face, a federal criminal lawyer might pursue defense strategies like the following:

  • Lack of Intent – A defendant may contest a federal criminal charge by arguing that the evidence fails to prove they had the required criminal intent to commit the charged offense.
  • Mistake of Fact – Defendants may argue against a conviction by arguing that they made an honest mistake of fact, such as taking property they reasonably and honestly believed belonged to them.
  • Lack of Possession – In federal drug and weapons cases, defendants may argue that the government has failed to prove they had actual or constructive possession of the contraband.
  • Consent – A defendant can fight various federal charges by arguing that the alleged victim consented to the conduct underlying the charges.
  • Entrapment – In an entrapment defense, a defendant claims that government agents induced them to commit the crime, even though they otherwise would have had no intention to commit the offense.
  • Unlawfully Obtained Evidence or Statements – Defendants may weaken the government’s case in a federal criminal proceeding by moving to exclude evidence or statements by arguing that federal investigators unlawfully obtained them, such as conducting a search without probable cause or questioning the defendant without advising them of their rights.