Federal Criminal Defense

The first step in defending your case is finding a lawyer that you trust.  If you have been charged with a federal offense, please reach out to our office today to get started on your defense.

The attitude of law enforcement is one of the biggest differences between how state and federal crimes are handled in Illinois. Usually, state and local authorities are reactive. They only prosecute defendants who are caught in flagrante delicto (red-handed). Lengthy investigations are rare.

Federal law enforcement officers are much more proactive. Long investigations are the norm. Frequently, defendants have no idea they are in trouble until authorities serve search or arrest warrants. By that time, court prosecutions are inevitable.

Investigating agencies include the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, HUD, HHS, and local law enforcement. These agencies employ a slew of investigative techniques, including modern technological methods, such as cell-site simulators, government malware, and digital forensic searches, among many others, that need to be attacked by an experienced federal criminal defense attorney.

Final punishment is another big difference between state and federal criminal systems. State court defendants usually serve their sentences in facilities that are close to home. Additionally, most of these inmates are eligible for early release.

The bottom line is that federal cases are much more complex than state cases. They have different rules and procedures. Also, the penalties are more severe, including longer prison sentences and steeper fines. Furthermore, federal criminal accusations alone can damage your personal and/or professional reputation beyond repair.

At the Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman, we focus primarily on representing individuals who are caught up in a federal investigation or prosecution. We represent individuals around the country throughout all stages of federal litigation, including grand jury investigations, verdicts, sentencing, and appeals. We are dedicated to providing zealous representation from the beginning of your case through the end.

Areas of Practice

We make sure that no stone goes unturned when reviewing the evidence. At the Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman, we focus on thorough pretrial investigation and preparation. This groundwork helps us find ways to attack the government’s evidence. So, we ensure that our clients’ rights are not violated by being prosecuted by unlawfully obtained evidence or meritless charges. Through our tenacious advocacy, we have been successful in having investigations dropped, evidence thrown out, charges dismissed, obtaining favorable plea agreements, and getting not guilty verdicts at trial.

At the Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman, we have handled a wide range of federal cases including:

  • Bank Fraud: This umbrella term usually applies to a wide range of financial crimes, such as loan fraud and account fraud. Basically, fraud is an intentional misrepresentation of current facts that are designed to produce an unlawful financial gain. Federal prosecutors must prove all these elements beyond any reasonable doubt.
  • Drug Crimes: The War on Drugs is far from over. Every year, federal officials arrest thousands of people for drug possession. Street drugs, like heroin and crack, and prescription pain pills, like Vicodin and Oxycontin, are the most common possession cases. Federal authorities are also very aggressive when it comes to drug manufacturing and drug trafficking. These cases often hinge on circumstantial evidence.
  • Embezzlement: These crimes usually involve people in positions of trust who illegally move money or property to enrich themselves. Embezzlement prosecutions will typically be associated with complex financial transfers and various financial accounts. In other words, there are a lot of moving parts. Such cases are difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • Health Care Fraud: Although health care fraud could include insurance fraud, prosecutors usually focus on Medicare and Medicaid fraud. There is a difference between unintentional coding or other mistakes and fraudulent activity. But there is no bright line between these two things. So, aggressive representation is essential. Otherwise, the jury might not hear your side of the story.
  • Immigration Fraud: In the post-9/11 era, federal prosecutors are particularly aggressive in this area. Authorities often assume that any paperwork irregularities are fraudulent. These crimes could also involve criminal record fraud. Immigration fraud usually means substantial penalties, such as deportation and exclusion.
  • Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud: Every time a defendant licks a stamp, picks up the phone, or presses “send,” prosecutors add an additional mail or wire fraud count to the indictment. The result is often a lengthy, multi-count indictment that intimidates many defendants.
  • Money Laundering: Much like embezzlement, these crimes also have a number of moving parts. The key elements are usually the defendant’s intent in moving money and the defendant’s knowledge that the money was associated with criminal activity.
  • Tax Fraud: These cases are not as common as they were a few years ago. But that statistical fact is small comfort to individuals and businesses who face tax fraud charges. These individuals can be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties.

Other areas of practice include:

  • Bankruptcy fraud
  • Possession of illegal pornography
  • Cybercrimes
  • Trade secret theft
  • Weapons offenses
  • Kidnapping
  • Perjury
  • Obstruction of justice

Why Choose Us

At the Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman, we have decades of experience in this area. Law school teaches students to think like lawyers. But only experience teaches them to act as lawyers. Therefore, the old saying is true in these cases. There really is no substitute for experience.

Furthermore, our professional team is dedicated to criminal defense. This area of practice is not just a sideshow for us. Our dedication helps us identify some defenses that other criminal attorneys might miss. More on that below.

Accessibility is important to us as well. To facilitate attorney-client contact, we offer after-hours, virtual, and home visits.

Additionally, our workload facilitates accessibility. Our lawyers are always available to meet with you and answer your questions. Furthermore, our lawyers are hands-on professionals. We don’t over-delegate tasks to less experienced attorneys or nonlawyer paralegals.

Defenses in Federal Crimes

Many federal crimes involve procedural defenses. These defenses usually stem from the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

The Fourth Amendment covers illegal searches and seizures. Generally, officers must have valid warrants before they search property or arrest individuals. The property at issue could be something large, like a house, or something small, like a smartphone.

Valid warrants must rest on probable cause. Uncorroborated information provided by a paid informer usually does not constitute probable cause. These informers usually receive money or leniency in exchange for the information they provide. Many people will say practically anything for love or money.

If officers don’t have search warrants, federal prosecutors must rely on a narrow search warrant exception, such as:

  • Owner Consent: Property owners may consent to property searches. Usually, consent is a voluntary, affirmative act. An apparent owner, such as a vehicle driver who doesn’t own the vehicle, may also give consent in some cases.
  • Plain View: This exception usually applies in vehicle searches. If officers see drugs, weapons, or other contraband in plain view, they may seize it without a warrant. Partial plain view situations, like a gun’s handle protruding from under a seat, are in a grey area.
  • Exigent Circumstances: If officers reasonably believe that someone is in trouble, they may enter the building without a warrant and conduct a security sweep. During this sweep, they may seize any contraband they see in plain view.

Federal prosecutors cannot work backward in these situations. They cannot argue that since federal law enforcement officers found what they were looking for, the search must have been valid.

As for the Fifth Amendment, most people know this provision includes the right to remain silent. However, most people don’t know how broad this right is. Defendants need not try on clothes, appear in lineups, pose for pictures, or take any other action.

Furthermore, your Fifth Amendment rights begin as soon as custodial interrogation begins. Usually, “custody” happens when a reasonable person wouldn’t feel free to leave. Many people don’t feel free to leave the moment they see flashing lights in their rearview mirrors.

Procedural defenses are usually quite effective. Prosecutors cannot turn back the clock and fix these mistakes. Instead, the judge usually throws these cases out of court.

As mentioned, the burden of proof in a criminal case is beyond any reasonable doubt. That’s one of the highest burdens of proof in the law. If even one juror has a reasonable doubt about the evidence, the defendant is not guilty as a matter of law. Therefore, prosecutors must usually have an overwhelming amount of evidence to obtain a conviction.

Resolving a Federal Criminal Case

Because of the high out-of-court settlement rate, it’s critical that your criminal defense lawyer be a good negotiator as well as a good litigator. If that’s not the case, the best possible resolution might not be available.

Contact a Dedicated Cook County Federal Criminal Defense Attorney

Federal criminal charges are scary, but a number of successful resolutions are available. For a confidential consultation with an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer in Chicago, contact The Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman by calling 312-726-9015. Convenient payment plans are available.

When you only have one call to make, make sure it is the right one.

We are here to defend your rights!

HOW CAN WE HELP?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Our Office

Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman
53 W Jackson Blvd
Ste 1128,
Chicago, IL 60604

312.726.9015