This page is our library of federal criminal defense resources — a single index of the guides we have written on federal charges, court procedure, sentencing, appeals, and post-conviction relief. Whatever stage your situation has reached, it is meant to help you find clear, reliable information quickly.
We built these resources because federal criminal law is complex and unfamiliar to most people who suddenly find themselves inside it. Each guide is written in plain language and grounded in the federal statutes, rules, and case law that actually govern these cases. Together, they form a connected set of federal criminal defense guides rather than a scattering of isolated articles.
Use the sections below to find the federal crime resources most relevant to your situation. If you would like to discuss a specific matter rather than read about it in general, we offer a paid, one-hour initial consultation with an attorney.
Browse Our Resources
Federal Offenses We Defend
These hubs explain the major categories of federal crime. Each one anchors a cluster of detailed offense guides covering the specific statutes, elements, penalties, and defenses involved.
- White-Collar Crime Defense — our overview of federal white-collar defense, with guides to insider trading, embezzlement, RICO, obstruction, false statements, perjury, and related offenses.
- Federal Fraud Defense — wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, securities and healthcare fraud, and the full range of federal fraud charges, explained guide by guide.
- Federal Tax Crimes — tax evasion, filing a false return, failure to file, employment tax fraud, and FBAR and offshore-account cases, and how IRS Criminal Investigation builds them.
- Public Corruption Defense — bribery, honest-services fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Hobbs Act extortion, and other corruption charges brought against public officials and private parties.
- Money Laundering Defense — money laundering under Sections 1956 and 1957, structuring, Bank Secrecy Act offenses, and unlicensed money-transmitting cases.
- Federal Drug Crimes — drug trafficking, conspiracy, possession with intent, continuing criminal enterprise, and prescription-diversion prosecutions.
- Federal Sex Offense Defense — federal sex-offense charges, handled with discretion, including the procedural and evidentiary issues that these cases raise.
- Federal Firearms Offenses — felon-in-possession charges, Section 924(c) counts, and straw-purchase and trafficking prosecutions under federal gun laws.
Understanding the Federal Case Process
These resources explain how a federal case actually unfolds — from the first sign of an investigation through charging, trial, and the sentence the court imposes.
- Federal Criminal Defense — our central guide to defending a federal case, covering the path from investigation through trial, sentencing, and appeal, and the strategy behind each stage.
- The Federal Criminal Process — a stage-by-stage walkthrough of a federal case: investigations, target letters, grand juries, indictment, arraignment, pretrial detention, plea agreements, and trial.
- Federal Sentencing — how federal sentences are calculated under the advisory Guidelines and the Section 3553(a) factors, including loss calculation, role adjustments, and sentencing mitigation.
Appeals, Post-Conviction Relief, and Beyond
A conviction is not always the final word. These resources cover the ways a federal judgment can be challenged or revisited, and the consequences a conviction can carry long after a sentence ends.
- Federal Criminal Appeals — how a direct appeal works, the grounds an appeal can raise, and what appellate review of the trial record can and cannot accomplish.
- Post-Conviction Relief — Section 2255 motions, habeas corpus, ineffective-assistance claims, and other ways to challenge a conviction after the direct appeal is over.
- Compassionate Release — when a federal sentence can be reduced for extraordinary and compelling reasons, and how such a motion is prepared, supported, and filed.
- Pardons and Clemency — presidential pardons, commutations of sentence, the clemency petition process, and the restoration of civil rights.
- Collateral Consequences — supervised release, sex-offender registration, immigration consequences, professional licensing, and the lasting effects of a federal conviction.
Federal Courts and Reference Tools
Finally, these reference resources help you understand where federal cases are heard and make sense of the terminology that runs through every guide on this site.
- Federal Courts and Jurisdictions — a guide to the federal court system, the twelve circuit courts of appeals, and all ninety-four U.S. district courts where federal cases are heard.
- Federal Criminal Law Glossary — plain-English definitions of the federal criminal law terms that appear throughout these guides, from arraignment to writ of certiorari.
- Federal Criminal Defense FAQ — direct answers to the questions people ask most often about federal charges, the court process, sentencing, and appeals.
Start With a Conversation
Reading is a good first step, but no guide can replace advice tailored to your case. If you are under federal investigation, facing charges, or considering an appeal or post-conviction motion, we are ready to help. Our paid, one-hour initial consultation gives you a candid, case-specific assessment from an attorney.