Federal Crimes

Have You Been Charged with a Federal Crime?

Whenever you are charged with a crime, it is because you have violated a local, state, or federal law. Most of the time, it is state laws that govern our everyday lives, and so it is state laws that are most often broken. There are some crimes that have been made illegal by the federal government. This means that it is illegal in all 50 states and the penalties for a conviction are the same throughout the country. It should be noted, however, that many federal crimes are also state crimes, and when they overlap, you can be charged with and punished for violating both.

Some types of federal crimes are:

• Possession, distribution, or creation of child pornography
• Mail fraud
• Tax evasion
• Possession of any weapon that is banned by the National Firearms Act
• Felon in possession of a firearm
• Certain drug crimes
• Immigration offenses
• Any crime that is committed on federal property
• Bank robbery
• Counterfeiting
• Securities fraud
• Kidnapping

A conviction on a federal crime charge can be devastating. Usually federal crimes are punished more harshly than state crimes, and any prison sentence will generally be in a federal prison instead of a state prison. In addition, the FBI and other agencies will do the investigative work against you. With ample resources available to them, it is easier for them to build a case against you.

If you have been charged with or are under investigation for a federal crime, it is absolutely imperative that you retain a Houston criminal defense lawyer who is experienced in and allowed to practice in federal courts. At The Martinez Law Firm, we have handled numerous federal cases, and we are knowledgeable about the differences between federal and state laws as well as those between federal and state court procedures.

Contact a Houston Federal Crimes Defense Attorney at our firm today! We offer an initial free consultation and will aggressively defend your rights in court.