Being accused of a federal crime without the correct attorney on your side could result in you paying hefty fines, serving probation, or, in the worst-case scenario, could result in you serving years in prison. Having such marks on your criminal record could affect the rest of your future.
To avoid harsh punishments, please don’t hesitate to contact The Law Place serving Venice today for a free consultation at (941) 444-4444. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What Is a Federal Crime?
A federal crime occurs when federal law is violated. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)Â has created a list of some of the most common examples of federal crimes:
- Murder – Wrongfully taking away somebody’s life with the intent to kill them.
- Manslaughter – Unlawfully killing somebody by accident or without the intent to murder.
- Burglary/theft – Stealing someone’s property or breaking into owned or government property without permission and with the intent to steal.
- Drug crime – Including drug possession, intent to sell, manufacture, drug trafficking, cultivation, trafficking, delivery, paraphernalia, and more.
- Assault/battery – If someone has carried out a physical attack on somebody, which is against the law, it can cause the victim serious harm or severe injuries and even result in them going to the hospital.
- Rape – Includes sexually assaulting somebody or engaging in sexual intercourse with someone without their permission.
- White-collar crime – When somebody uses their position within a business to commit federal crimes, usually for monetary gain.
- Terrorism – Committing unlawful violence, usually against civilians or putting large amounts of civilians at risk. Some examples of terrorism are bombings, using weapons of mass destruction, chemical attacks, hijacking an aircraft, etc.
- Cybercrime – Committing crimes via computers or the internet. Some examples of cybercrime are internet fraud, theft, or financial crime via the internet, hacking or shutting down websites, distributing child pornography, or grooming underage children online.
State Crime Defined
Each state carries different laws that reprimand people for certain behaviors or offenses. State crime is an activity or failure to act that results in breaking the state’s criminal law. A few examples of state crimes are:
- Corruption
- Discrimination or racism
- Funding terrorism
- Funding organized crime
- War crimes
- Torture
- Assassination
- Genocide
What Is the Difference Between State Crimes and Federal Crimes?
The law can become very complex, and it is easy to get confused about the difference between state crimes and federal crimes if you are unfamiliar with the law:
- Federal crime – This is a crime committed against the country and the U.S. constitution. This type of law applies at a national level and throughout the U.S. This type of law is passed by the government and establishes order and safety to prevent serious crimes.
- State crime – Committing a state crime is performing actions against your state’s national law and is a criminal offense. State law is enforced by legislation and is signed for by the government. A state crime is a crime committed against the state’s public law.
No matter the crime, our criminal defense lawyers will fight for the outcome you deserve in court and to ensure the severity of your charges are as light as possible.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
White-Collar Crimes
A white-collar crime is a non-violent organized federal crime that is committed for financial gain. Usually, white-collar crimes are committed by people of authority in a business that has access to the company’s financial aspects. Some examples of white-collar crimes are:
- Public corruption
- Police bribes
- Health care fraud
- Mortgage fraud
- Corporate fraud
- Securities fraud
- Money laundering
- Bankruptcy fraud
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
Misdemeanors and Felonies
The severity of a federal crime is measured using either felonies or misdemeanors, which will then determine the harshness of the charge you face for the offense. A misdemeanor is the less serious of these charges, while a first-degree felony is one of the harshest punishments that the law has to offer.
- First-degree or second-degree felony – 1st or 2nd-degree felonies can result in the defendant paying fines of up to $10,000. A second-degree felony can result in jail time for up to 15 years in severe cases and years of serving probation, whereas for a first-degree felony, it is up to 30 years.
- Third-degree felony – Committing a federal crime that is a third-degree felony can result in the defendant paying $5,000 with a potential prison sentence of up to 5 years and probation.
- First-degree misdemeanor – Considered to be a much lesser severity than a felony, being charged with a 1st-degree misdemeanor could result in the defendant paying fines of up to $1,000.
- Second or third-degree misdemeanor – Considered to be the least harsh of all the charges, if convicted of committing either a second or third-degree misdemeanor, the client could have to pay fines of up to $500.
You can find more information on the differences between felony and misdemeanor charges in Florida Statute 775.08.
The Aftermath of Committing a Federal Crime
Upon committing a federal crime, you will begin to be investigated by federal agents such as the FBI or DEA rather than the state police. You will be arrested, and an investigation into your case will be made, usually with the assistance of the state police. Following this, court dates will follow.
The aftermath of being charged with a federal crime will result in you receiving a lifetime criminal record. If you do have a criminal record, you may find yourself undesirable to employers, restricted from applying to particular jobs, unable to travel to certain countries, or even to certain places within the U.S. in the future.
Organizations That Handle Offenses of Federal Law in Venice, FL.
Depending on the federal crime committed, many agencies are given the authority to handle such cases. If there is an organization or group of people who are all involved in the federal crime, some of these agencies may step in and handle the case. Some of the agencies that have the power to manage these extreme offenses are:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- Health and Human Services
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Internal Revenue Services
- S. Marshals Service
- S. Postal Inspection Service
- S. Secret Service
How Can a Criminal Defense Lawyer Assist Me?
We promise to do everything in our power to meet the needs of our clients. Our criminal defense lawyers are ready to gather all of the evidence for you and begin building up a strong defense that will stand in federal courts.
If you do not have the correct legal guidance or assistance, it can be almost impossible to represent yourself in court in a court of law. Our criminal defense lawyers are here to stand in your corner and work relentlessly on your defense. We will retrieve any information necessary to help you get the most lenient outcome possible.
Federal crimes cover a range of offenses within criminal law, including white-collar crime, and are enforced ferociously in Venice, FL. Our criminal defense lawyers are excellent at reaching settlements and are more than familiar with plea bargaining strategies. A plea bargain consists of the defendant pleading guilty to lessen the severity of the charges, so if you have no criminal history, this might be the correct route for you.
We understand it can be hard to put your trust in a lawyer, but you can take your time looking through our case history and success rates, our number of awards, and ratings from our past clients, to help you make a decision on who the right attorney is for you.
Contact The Law Place Today
Please do not hesitate to call The Law Place for a free consultation today at (941) 444-4444. This will give you the opportunity to explain your case and ask us any questions that you may have about our processes. We understand how harrowing going through a criminal case alone can be, but our law team guarantees you will finish the consultation feeling much more at ease and reassured that there is support out there for you.
There is always a criminal defense lawyer waiting to receive your call. We want to put our knowledge to work for you. Phone lines are open 24/7.