Chicago Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges Lawyers
There’s one reason you’re on this website: you or someone you care about is facing federal drug conspiracy charges. And that’s a big deal – the kind of situation that can turn your life upside down if you don’t have the right legal representation.Most law firms will implement a cookie-cutter strategy to fight your case and move on to the next one as quickly as possible.
They don’t look carefully at the details of your unique situation. At Spodek Law Group, we leave no stone unturned. We do everything possible to win, focusing all our efforts on getting you the best possible results.We understand the challenges of going through a criminal case. If you’re accused of a crime, schedule a consultation with our elite criminal defense attorneys today. The sooner we can start working on your defense, the better.
What Exactly is a Federal Drug Conspiracy Charge?
A federal drug conspiracy charge means the government believes you agreed with one or more other people to violate federal drug laws. It doesn’t matter if you actually committed any drug crimes – just the agreement itself is enough to be charged with conspiracy.To convict you, prosecutors must prove:
- An agreement existed between two or more people to break federal drug laws
- You knew about the agreement and intentionally joined it
That’s a pretty broad definition that gives prosecutors a lot of leeway. Even having limited involvement or just being aware of a drug operation can potentially lead to conspiracy charges.
Why Drug Conspiracies Are Treated So Harshly
The federal government takes an extremely tough stance on drug crimes as part of the longstanding “War on Drugs.” Conspiracy charges in particular allow them to cast a wide net and go after anyone remotely involved in drug operations.Prosecutors love conspiracy charges because they’re relatively easy to prove compared to other drug crimes. They don’t need evidence that you actually manufactured, distributed or possessed drugs. Just showing you agreed to participate in some way is enough.And the penalties for drug conspiracy convictions are no joke. You could be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 5-10 years in federal prison, even if it’s your first offense. Fines can reach into the millions. Your assets may be seized. You’ll have a permanent criminal record that makes it extremely difficult to find employment, housing, and loans.Have you ever been in a situation where you were around drugs or drug dealers, even if you weren’t directly involved? That’s all it could take for federal agents to try building a conspiracy case against you. Don’t take that risk lightly – hire an experienced defense lawyer immediately.
Common Types of Federal Drug Conspiracies
Federal drug conspiracy charges generally fall into four main categories:
Manufacturing a Controlled Substance
This covers any involvement in illegally producing drugs through growing, extracting, chemically processing, or other manufacturing methods.
Importing a Controlled Substance
If drugs are brought into the United States from another country through trafficking or smuggling, everyone involved could face importation conspiracy charges.
Distribution of a Controlled Substance
Selling, transporting or transferring illegal drugs constitutes distribution. You don’t even need to profit financially – simply giving drugs to someone else can be considered distribution.
Possession with Intent to Distribute
Having a quantity of drugs that seems intended for distribution rather than personal use can lead to this charge, even if no distribution actually occurred.Within each of those categories, the specific drug involved and the quantity will impact the potential sentencing. Charges for marijuana, for example, are generally less severe than for cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines.
Defending Against Conspiracy: Your Options
Just because you’ve been charged doesn’t mean you’ll be convicted. An experienced defense lawyer can attack the prosecution’s case in several ways:
Lack of Evidence
If there’s no proof you actually agreed or intended to join a drug conspiracy, you have strong grounds to get the charges dismissed. Mere association with people involved in drugs isn’t enough.
Entrapment
If you only took actions related to drugs because of undue persuasion or coercion by an undercover law enforcement officer, you may have been entrapped. This could get your charges thrown out.
Illegal Search and Seizure
The Fourth Amendment protects you from unreasonable searches and seizures. If law enforcement violated your rights in gathering evidence, that evidence could be suppressed.
Withdrawal from the Conspiracy
You can avoid liability if you withdrew from the conspiracy before any criminal acts occurred, as long as you took affirmative steps to prevent the crimes.
Lack of Conspiracy
Your lawyer may be able to show no actual agreement existed between the defendants – just a series of unrelated, non-conspiratorial acts.The sooner you hire a skilled defense attorney, the sooner they can start poking holes in the prosecution’s case against you. Don’t try handling this on your own.
Why You Need the Best Lawyers
Spodek Law Group has over 50 years of combined experience in defending clients against the toughest federal charges, including drug conspiracies. We’ve gone up against the DEA, FBI, and other federal agencies and won – getting charges reduced or dismissed entirely.Our team includes former prosecutors who understand how the other side builds conspiracy cases. We know all the tactics they use, and how to counter them effectively. We’ll pour through every shred of evidence, interview witnesses, and prepare an aggressive defense strategy.Sometimes prosecutors will only be fair if you respond with overwhelming force. Without an elite defense team advising you, you could accidentally plead guilty when you had a winnable case. That’s why you need to hire private criminal defense attorneys, not rely on an overworked public defender.At Spodek Law Group, we pride ourselves on taking a hands-on, personalized approach. We research every detail of your situation and hold regular meetings to discuss your case. In an emergency, we have a full team available to help you 24/7.Regardless of how tough your situation is, we’re here to find a solution. Many clients feel embarrassed and don’t want to discuss the details of their case. But we encourage open dialogue – the more we know about your circumstances, the better legal advice and defense we can provide.
Next Steps
Federal drug conspiracy charges are extremely serious, but you have rights and options for defending yourself. Schedule a free, confidential consultation with our top criminal attorneys today. We’ll listen to your side of the story, explain all the potential consequences you’re facing, and start mapping out a strategy to fight for the best possible outcome.