Federal & White Collar Criminal Defense

An experienced federal criminal defense attorney is the most important weapon you can have when you are under federal investigation or indictment. If you find yourself the target of a federal investigation or are actively being prosecuted by a U.S attorney’s office, do not hesitate to contact our criminal defense team at Konta Georges & Buza P.C.

Partners at our nationally recognized firm are former prosecutors who have taken on thousands of cases, representing clients on both sides of the aisle. We defend federal charges involving:

• Bribery
• Falsifying business records
• Federal conspiracy
• Federal money laundering
• Federal narcotics
• Forgery
• Fraud, including heath care fraud and welfare fraud
• Larceny and possession of stolen property
• Perjury
• Racketeering (RICO)
• White collar crimes

We have secured countless acquittals, dismissals and favorable dispositions. When you hire us, you benefit from our substantial legal skill set and ability to navigate complex legal procedures, such as the federal criminal process. We are the allies you want in your corner when you are defending against serious charges.

Call 212-710-5166 for a free consultation.

The Constitutional Provisions That Affects Law Enforcement

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reserves ordinary police power to the individual states. What that basically means is that any laws not explicitly stated in the Constitution are reserved for states like New York to enforce. Local police departments; therefore, enforce most criminal laws and the litigation that stems from that enforcement occurs in state court.

However, the U.S. Constitution does grant the federal government the right to regulate interstate commerce. From that very small provision in the Constitution comes an enormous body of criminal laws and regulations that the federal government enforces. For the past 100 years, that commerce clause has consistently been used to justify just about any criminal law that the federal government passes.

The net effect of this is we all live in a country where a tremendous amount of criminal behavior can be prosecuted by not just your local and state governments, but by the federal government as well. Historically, the expansion of federal crimes has had both beneficial and negative consequences.

The Good Vs. Bad Effects Of Expanding Federal Crimes

The negative effects are a decrease in overall freedom for citizens and the feeling that having two powerful governmental bodies that each have the right to put you in prison for the same conduct is above and beyond what the framers of our Constitution had in mind when they created this free country.

For example, Colorado and Washington, as states, decided they no longer want marijuana to be illegal. Indeed, California for close to 20 years now has allowed for medical marijuana. Despite these democratically elected positions that the Constitution explicitly reserves for the individual states, the actual citizens of those states can still be (and are) prosecuted for possessing marijuana under federal law. This is true despite the fact that the citizens in those states have clearly spoken.

The beneficial effect of having active federal enforcement of laws is the federal government is in a unique position to take on and eliminate powerful forces that the individual states are simply too ill-equipped to handle. The federal government has extensive resources and has at its disposal the biggest police force, military and expendable cash in the world.

This behemoth has successfully eradicated the mafia, combated organized crime, dismantled international drug cartels, and is actively waging the war on terror. While all productive citizens of this country agree that we should be thankful for this force that is capable of combating these evils, what happens when this juggernaut decides to turn its sights on ordinary citizens?

The Overwhelming Power Of The Government

Not only does the federal government have unlimited resources, but also the laws are heavily rigged in the government’s favor when you are in litigation against them. The U.S. Constitution was intended to give those accused of a crime certain rights in fighting these charges.

For example:

• Anyone accused of a crime has a right to confront all witnesses against them
• They also have a right to have an independent court act as the referee between the accused and the government

However, due to the enactment of the federal sentencing guidelines and because of mandatory minimum prison sentences, most federally accused people are too afraid to exercise those rights so they just plead guilty.

For example, if you’re in a situation where you are legitimately innocent of what the government is accusing you of doing, but the minimum period of incarceration is 20 years in prison, you may seriously consider pleading guilty when the government gives you an opportunity to do so and be sentenced to only three years in prison. So, in this hypothetical example, you just waived all the rights you have because of a perfectly rational fear. This is part of the reason why the United States makes up 5% of the world’s population, but contains 25% of the world’s prisoners.

Fight Back Against Federal Criminal Charges

The light at the end of the tunnel is that there are ways to fight back against the government when you are accused of a crime or are the subject of a federal investigation. An experienced federal criminal defense attorney in Manhattan can help you in your time of need. We frequently handle charges involving:

• Federal conspiracy
• Federal narcotics
• Federal money laundering
• Fraud
• Racketeering

Don’t wait to get help. Call the Konta Georges & Buza P.C. at 212-710-5166 today!