If you have been charged with a federal criminal offense in Northern Kentucky, you need Suhre & Associates on your team fighting for you. Our Northern Kentucky federal crimes lawyers have successfully represented many clients just like you facing serious federal charges. We want to fight for you, too.
We have more than a century of combined legal experience to bring to your defense. Our aggressive legal team has a former police office and a former prosecutor.
Your choice of criminal defense lawyer is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Do not risk your future by waiting too long to seek legal counsel.
Your attorney may be the only thing between you and years behind bars. Contact Suhre & Associates right away. We offer free initial consultations, so call today.
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How Can Our Northern Kentucky Criminal Defense Lawyers Help You Fight Federal Charges in Northern Kentucky?
When you are our client, we will treat you with the respect you deserve because we believe that you are innocent unless and until the government proves you guilty at trial. Northern Kentucky criminal defense lawyers at Suhre & Associates do not shy away from a challenge.
Our founder, Attorney Joe Suhre, began his career on the other side of the fence as a policeman, before changing career paths to defend those accused of crimes. His time in law enforcement means he speaks their language, and has walked in their shoes. No federal investigator will intimidate Joe, because he once worked on the beat doing his own investigations.
When you hire us to represent you, we immediately begin preparing your case for trial. This is the best, and only way, to handle federal charges. We need to prepare for trial to make sure no stone is unturned in the fight to prove your innocence.
Some of the things we may do in your case, if appropriate, include:
- Sending investigators out to interview witnesses and find exculpatory evidence
- Working with scientific or financial experts to help defend you
- Filing motions to suppress evidence seized in violation of your constitutional rights
- Fighting to secure your release on favorable bail conditions
- Negotiating for a dismissal or reduction in charges
- Fighting your case at trial to prove your innocence
Each case requires a unique approach based on the nature of the allegations against you. Our team will work closely with you to fully understand your side of the story, then get started building your defense.
If you’re facing criminal charges for a federal offense in Northern KY, do not speak to law enforcement without your lawyer – they’ll try to get you to incriminate yourself. Invoke your right to remain silent and call Suhre & Associates right away. We’ll evaluate your case for free.
What Makes an Offense a Federal Crime in Northern Kentucky?
Only specific types of crimes can be charged by the federal government. Federal crimes are extremely serious. If the U.S. Attorney’s Office has decided to charge you, you need to hire experienced legal counsel as quickly as possible. A conviction for a federal crime can come with the possibility of years in prison and hefty fines.
Generally speaking, a crime may be a federal offense in the following situations:
- The criminal activity crossed state lines or took place in multiple states
- The criminal activity crossed international borders
- The crime was a violation of the United States Code (federal statutes)
- The United States is an interested party in the case
- The crime occurred on federal land or involved federal property or employees
Even seemingly minor crimes under state law can become federal crimes if they took place on a military base or in a national forest, for instance. The interplay between state jurisdiction and federal jurisdiction is complicated.
The Northern Kentucky federal crimes attorneys at Suhre & Associates understand the interaction between the state and federal system, and will carefully scrutinize the charges brought against you.
The most common ways to be charged with a federal crime is to violate federal law as opposed to state law, or to cross state lines at some point during the commission of the crime.
Some examples of frequently charged federal crimes include:
- Drug trafficking
- Counterfeiting
- Tax evasion
- Wire fraud
- Mail fraud
- Internet fraud
- Financial fraud
- Securities fraud
- Human trafficking
- Kidnapping
- Terrorism
- Child pornography
- Firearm charges
- RICO
- Extortion and racketeering
- Robbery
- Rape
- Murder
This list is not exhaustive. There are thousands upon thousands of pages of federal law that can be violated and lead to federal charges. Many crimes that you would normally see in state court are prosecuted in federal court when the defendant is alleged to have crossed state lines.
Financial fraud and internet crimes are almost always federal crimes because they usually target internet users across the country, not in just one state.
What are the Penalties for Federal Crimes in Northern Kentucky?
Penalties for federal crimes vary widely depending on the type of charge. All federal crimes carry a minimum penalty of at least one year in prison. Many carry minimum penalties far more severe.
Common sentences for federal crimes can involve years to decades behind bars. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines contain the minimum and maximum penalties for different federal charges. In the federal system there are 43 “levels” of crime corresponding to the severity of the punishment (one being least serious, 43 being most serious).
Federal sentencing is very complex, so you will need to work closely with your criminal defense lawyer to determine the possible penalties if your case results in a criminal conviction.
Suhre & Associates understands how scary these penalties are. We know that good people are wrongly accused, or get caught up in bad situations all the time. We have the experience, resources, and aggression to go toe-to-toe with federal prosecutors. Nobody will intimidate us into a bad plea deal.
How Can You Defend Against Federal Criminal Charges?
Our Northern Kentucky federal crimes attorneys will carefully scrutinize every piece of evidence in your case to find weaknesses in the case against you. We aren’t satisfied with just poking holes, however. Whenever possible, our team will proactively go out and try to gather evidence of your innocence.
Every case is unique, so the strategy in your case will not look like any other. Federal crimes are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Federal Court, rather than the local District Attorney who handles crimes charged in state court. Many people consider U.S. Attorney’s to be the cream of the crop, the toughest prosecutors to go up against. We’re never afraid to face them when standing up with your defense.
When you’ve been charged with a crime, we firmly believe that you are entitled to ALL of your constitutional rights at all times. When you bring us on to represent you, it doesn’t matter who is investigating you – the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, or other federal agency – we will stand up for your rights.
Some general defense approaches to federal charges may include:
- Proving that you did not cross state lines
- Showing that the government cannot prove intentional misconduct
- Arguing that your Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights were violated by law enforcement so that evidence must be thrown out
- Establishing that law enforcement unlawfully entrapped you
- Proving that you were misidentified as the perpetrator or were framed
- Shining a light on problems in the evidence such that prosecutors cannot prove the case against you beyond a reasonable doubt
The right to call witnesses to testify in your defense is an important right that we can help you take advantage of. Sometimes this means bringing in eyewitnesses to the alleged crime. Other times it means retaining experts in a given field to analyze key evidence and testify.
For instance, a ballistics expert may be necessary to check on the accuracy of law enforcement ballistics testing. We are not satisfied with what the government says about a piece of evidence. We want to independently check their findings whenever possible.
Criminal defense is always an uphill battle. You cannot risk your future by thinking this will all magically go away. You need highly experienced criminal defense attorneys fighting the federal charges against you from day one. Our team will give your case everything we’ve got, every step of the way.
Contact Our Northern Kentucky Federal Crimes Lawyers for a Free Consultation
The Northern Kentucky federal crimes lawyers at Suhre & Associates will have your back when nobody else will. No matter what you are accused of, our team believes in your innocence and will stand up for your rights.
Federal charges are incredibly serious, and require an incredibly serious response. When you hire our federal crimes lawyers to represent you, it sends a strong message to prosecutors that you won’t be pushed around. You can rest assured that we will be fighting and negotiating your case with everything we have.
Don’t waste another second while the federal government builds its case against you. Invoke your right to remain silent, then contact Suhre & Associates right away.
