If you are facing federal charges in Richardson, TX, or you have been contacted by federal investigators and believe charges may be coming, the time to act is now. Whalen Law Office has defended clients against federal criminal charges throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1997, resolving more than 2,500 cases. Our attorneys are board certified in criminal law and appear regularly in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas.
Federal defense is not a side practice here. It is what our firm is built around.
Federal vs. State Criminal Charges: What Makes Federal Different
Most people who come to us have dealt with the state criminal system before, or know someone who has. Federal court is a fundamentally different experience, and understanding those differences matters for how a defense is built.
Federal cases are investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working alongside federal agencies with substantial investigative resources. These agencies often spend months or years gathering evidence — financial records, communications, witness testimony, surveillance — before a single charge is filed. By the time an indictment is returned, the government’s file is already comprehensive.
Federal courts follow the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which govern every stage of the case from arraignment through sentencing. Discovery is structured differently than in state court. Motion practice follows federal standards. And sentencing is determined not by broad judicial discretion, but by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines — a structured framework that calculates a recommended prison range based on offense characteristics and the defendant’s criminal history.
The federal conviction rate at trial is approximately 90%. Mandatory minimum sentences are common for drug, fraud, and firearms offenses. And the penalties are measured in years or decades, not months. These are not reasons to give up — they are reasons to hire a defense attorney who understands the federal system from the inside.
Types of Federal Charges We Defend
Federal charges span a wide range of conduct. These are the categories that make up the bulk of what we handle for clients in Richardson and throughout the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas.
Federal Drug Charges. Federal drug trafficking and distribution charges carry mandatory minimum sentences that start at five years and escalate based on drug type and quantity. A federal drug conspiracy charge can reach people who never physically handled a controlled substance — knowledge of and participation in the agreement is often enough for exposure. Drug charges remain the most common federal offense category.
Federal Fraud Charges. Wire fraud and mail fraud are broad statutes that prosecutors apply across a wide range of alleged schemes. Healthcare fraud, bank fraud, and securities fraud each carry enhancements tied to the dollar value of the alleged loss. Our attorneys handle the full spectrum of white-collar federal defense, including embezzlement, money laundering, and related financial crimes.
Federal Conspiracy and RICO. Federal conspiracy statutes are among the most broadly used tools in the federal prosecutor’s arsenal. You can face federal RICO or criminal conspiracy charges as a peripheral participant in an alleged scheme — your role and intent are the key issues in dispute. These cases often involve dozens of co-defendants and years of wire surveillance evidence.
Federal Firearms Offenses and Other Charges. Felon in possession of a firearm, illegal trafficking, and related weapons charges frequently escalate to federal prosecution when interstate commerce is involved or other federal charges are present. We also defend clients against federal cybercrime charges, federal immigration offenses, and federal sex crimes.
What Happens During a Federal Investigation
Many clients come to us not after formal charges, but during the investigation phase — after receiving a target letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, after a knock at the door from the FBI, or after a grand jury subpoena arrives for documents or testimony. This is often the most consequential moment in the entire process.
Federal investigations may begin months or years before any arrest or indictment. By the time you are contacted, agents have often already interviewed witnesses, gathered financial records, and analyzed communications. If you have received a target letter, prosecutors have identified you as a likely defendant. Do not respond to that letter or speak with any federal agent without consulting a defense attorney first.
A federal grand jury is how indictments are generated. The grand jury meets in secret, hears evidence presented by prosecutors, and votes on whether probable cause exists to charge. You cannot bring your attorney into the grand jury room, but an attorney can help you prepare, challenge the scope of subpoenas, and advise you on your rights throughout the process.
Getting involved early — before an indictment — gives defense counsel the best opportunity to shape how the investigation resolves. In some cases, early intervention changes the scope of charges or avoids indictment entirely.
Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimums
Federal sentencing is one of the most misunderstood parts of the process for people accustomed to the state system.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines produce a recommended sentencing range by calculating two scores: the offense level and the criminal history category. The offense level starts at a base number for the charge, then adjusts upward or downward based on case-specific factors. In drug cases, the type and quantity of the controlled substance drives the level up. In fraud cases, the dollar amount of alleged loss does the same. Enhancements are added for leadership roles, the use of a weapon, or obstruction. The defendant’s criminal history is scored separately, and the two numbers are cross-referenced on the guidelines table to produce the recommended range.
Many federal offenses also carry statutory mandatory minimums — sentencing floors that the judge cannot go below, regardless of what the guidelines recommend or what the individual circumstances suggest. A five-year mandatory minimum means five years in a Bureau of Prisons facility, with no possibility of parole.
Understanding the guidelines from the first day of representation allows your attorney to make decisions with real consequences: how plea negotiations are framed, whether to contest specific factual findings at sentencing, whether cooperation agreements make sense, and how evidence is handled at trial. Sentencing strategy is a defense strategy, and it starts at the initial consultation.
Federal Plea Agreements and Negotiation Strategy
Given the federal conviction rate at trial, a significant number of federal cases resolve through negotiated plea agreements rather than trial verdicts. That does not mean every case should be resolved by plea, but it does mean your defense attorney needs to understand the full landscape of negotiations.
A federal plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office involves more than simply agreeing to plead guilty to a charge. It involves negotiating the specific charges the government will pursue, the factual basis for the plea (which affects the guidelines calculation), whether cooperation with ongoing investigations is part of the agreement, and how departures from the guidelines will be handled. A well-negotiated resolution can result in significantly lower sentencing exposure than a trial conviction on the original indictment.
Some federal cases do have strong trial defenses: constitutional problems with how evidence was gathered, credibility issues with government witnesses, or conduct that does not legally satisfy the elements of the charged offense. An experienced federal criminal defense attorney evaluates both paths honestly — models the realistic sentencing range under each scenario — and advises you on what the evidence actually supports.
At Whalen Law Office, we do not steer clients toward or away from trial based on convenience. We do the analysis and tell you the truth about where you stand.
How Much Does a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer Cost in Richardson?
Cost is among the first questions most federal defendants ask, and it deserves a direct answer rather than vague reassurances.
Federal criminal defense is among the most expensive categories of legal representation, and for substantive reasons. These cases are resource-intensive: they may involve tens of thousands of pages of discovery, forensic experts, complex motion practice, multiple hearings, and trial preparation that begins months before any scheduled trial date. The average federal case takes 12 to 24 months from indictment to resolution.
Most federal defense attorneys structure their fees as a flat retainer for each phase of the case — investigation, pre-trial, and trial — or as an hourly rate against a substantial retainer deposit. Factors that drive cost include the charge type, the number and complexity of counts, the volume of evidence, whether co-defendants are involved, and whether the case is headed to trial. For complex federal matters in the Dallas area, retainers often run from the low five figures for straightforward cases to six figures for multi-count indictments involving trial.
The cost of inadequate representation is also real. Federal sentences are long, and the difference between a strategic defense and a rushed or underprepared one can mean years. Clients who retain experienced federal counsel during the investigation phase — before indictment — often have more options available, because early involvement can affect the scope of charges, the factual record, and the initial guidelines calculation.
The Federal Appeals Process
A federal conviction is not always the final word. If your case went to trial and legal errors occurred — improper admission of evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, erroneous jury instructions, or ineffective assistance of counsel — an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals may be available.
“What percentage of federal appeals are successful?” is one of the most-searched questions on this topic, and the honest answer is that success depends almost entirely on the quality of the legal issues presented and how well they were preserved at trial. The Fifth Circuit reviews legal questions on the record developed below; appellate courts do not retry facts.
Whalen Law Office handles federal criminal appeals in addition to trial-level defense. Preserving appellate rights is a deliberate part of how we try cases, not something addressed after the verdict.
Defending Clients Throughout Richardson, TX and the Northern District of Texas
Richardson is primarily located in Dallas County, with a small portion extending into Collin County. Federal cases arising from the Dallas County portion of Richardson are handled in the Dallas Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, while cases tied to the Collin County portion fall within the Sherman Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Venue in federal court is determined by where the alleged conduct occurred, so the specific location of the offense will determine which court has jurisdiction.
Whalen Law Office serves clients throughout this area, including residents of Plano, Garland, Allen, McKinney, Dallas, and Rowlett. Our attorneys are Board Certified® in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America, and have resolved more than 2,500 criminal and juvenile charges since the firm was founded in 1997. Our team includes founding partner James P. Whalen, partner Ryne T. Sandel, and associate attorney Grace A. Tucker.
If you’re facing federal criminal charges in Richardson, you need a skilled and experienced Richardson federal criminal defense lawyer who can provide effective representation. Contact Whalen Law Office today for a free federal case evaluation.
