Federal crimes in Tampa, Florida carry harsher penalties than if you were convicted of a state crime. This is because federal crimes are prohibited by federal statutes. As a result, federal criminal investigations are much better funded than state investigations and employ the resources of agencies like the DEA, FBI, or CIA.
The combination of highly experienced professionals and nearly unlimited funding makes having an experienced federal criminal attorney at your side all the more necessary. If you’ve been arrested for a federal crime, or notice that you’re under investigation, contact an attorney as soon as you’re able. The best strategy in these cases is one that starts early and can intercede in any ongoing investigation to defend against the evidence they’ve collected against you.
What are Federal Crimes?
Federal crimes, also called “white collar crimes” are federally prohibited, meaning that you can be convicted of these crimes anywhere in the United States. Even if you’re a foreign visitor in America you can be indicted if you’ve committed a federal crime.
If you’re being investigated for a federal crime, federal agencies may be using a variety of investigative tactics to gather evidence on you. These tactics include electronic surveillance and undercover investigation. These investigations can go on for months, or even years before charging you.
Of course, there is some overlap with federal and state laws. This means that on top of being charged for crimes in federal court, you can also be charged for crimes in state court.
Examples of Federal crimes include:
- Crimes that cross state lines, i.e. drug trafficking
- Immigration and customs violations, i.e. human trafficking
- Fraud
- Child pornography
- Computer crimes
- Drug possession, distribution, and trafficking
- Counterfeiting
- Kidnapping
- Money laundering
- Bribery Crimes
- Coercion
- Tax crimes
- Extortion
- Identity Theft
- Customs violations
If you’re charged with a federal crime you can expect to receive a penalty with hefty jail sentences, large fines, and perhaps additional probationary terms. The court will decide upon your penalty using these guidelines:
- The seriousness of the offense
- Adjustments for specific offense characteristics, like if a firearm was involved in the crime
- Further adjustments for general factors. Perhaps more than one victim was involved or the offender only aided and abetted the actual crime
- Personal adjustment factors, like other convictions on top of the most serious ones
- Acceptance of responsibility at the judge’s discretion
- The offender’s criminal history
You’ll need the right lawyer to face federal charges. Cases like these require an attorney to be thoroughly experienced in federal criminal charges. Smith & Eulo have a combined 100+ years defending Floridians against a variety of charges, including federal ones.
If you or your loved one are in need of information on Administrative License Suspension, call us at 813-359-8667 to speak with a qualified legal professional or fill out the contact form on this page. We’re available 24/7, we offer free initial consultation and payment plans. In addition to our Tampa office, we have offices in the following cities across the state of Florida:
- Daytona Beach
- Kissimmee
- Melbourne
- Lakeland
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- Orlando
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- Sanford
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