Ever feel like you’re being watched? If you’ve caught the attention of federal governmental agencies, you probably are. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Secret Service, DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), and other agencies have their own methods of investigation depending on the suspected offense.
Before a federal criminal offense is charged, federal law enforcement has built up their case so it is almost bulletproof. In a federal criminal investigation, the FBI will turn over all stones until they think they are sure they will obtain a conviction of the criminal offense they will soon charge.
During a federal criminal investigation, the government will gather evidence that may consist of trash pulls, recorded phone calls, surveillance tapes, undercover officer intelligence, and so on. Most of the time, they know what they’re doing and they do it well. In 2012, 97% of individuals convicted of a federal crime pled guilty. In 2012, the federal government had an approximate 95% conviction rate.
If you are federally charged with a drug offense, the FBI or DEA likely already have numerous controlled drug buys or sales, surveillance videos of you, recorded calls, the actual drugs or money, photos, and possibly more. Sometimes you can tell if you’re being followed – some law enforcement reports describe the defendant erratically driving to avoid being followed. Sometimes you can tell if you are being watched – some of our former clients have described a little box placed on a lamppost that we later discovered was a video camera installed by the FBI.
Cases like tax evasion or fraud are likely to be less obvious to the suspect because they are so document intensive and the incidents have most likely already occurred. Sometimes the Federal Government will send a subpoena to gather your financial records which will put you on notice that are being investigated. They may also start interviewing people close to you to gather more information.
It is important to note that just because a federal agency is investigating you doesn’t mean that the case will be a federal case. The prosecutors at the United States Attorney’s Office review cases and they may reject the case and refer it to the state government.
Either way, you need a good criminal defense lawyer on your side as soon as you think you are being investigated to minimize the impact and prepare you for the next steps. Call us today for a free consultation – (612) 436-3051!