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Winter Park Federal Crime Attorney

The federal government has immense and wide-ranging powers to investigate and prosecute criminal activity throughout the country, and finding yourself the target or potential target of a federal investigation and prosecution is no laughing matter. The “feds” have many tools and resources at their disposal to try and intimidate you, and even making a misstatement to a federal investigator can land you in a federal prison, so you will want to work with aggressive, skilled, and experienced Winter Park federal crime attorneys who can defend your rights and fight for your interests through every step of an investigation and prosecution.

The Winter Park & Orlando federal criminal law attorneys of Cotter & Zelman, P.A, are former prosecutors who will fight for your constitutional rights and freedom in the following types of cases and investigations:

  • Drug Possession and Distribution
  • Racketeering
  • Corruption and Bribery (Federal Corrupt Practices Act)
  • Weapons Crimes
  • Corporate and White Collar Crime
  • Sex Crimes
  • Unemployment Fraud

At Cotter & Zelman, P.A., we have 65 years of experience in representing defendants and targets in federal cases, and have strategically worked with our clients and gone up against the federal government to end investigations, dismiss cases, win not guilty verdicts, and obtain reduced sentences.

The Timeline of a Federal Criminal Investigation and Prosecution

A federal criminal case can be set in motion by law enforcement (the FBI, DEA, ATF, etc.) or by prosecutors working out of a US Attorney’s office. Law enforcement may arrest a suspect, or prosecutors and investigators may build a case through interviewing parties, obtaining a wiretap, going undercover, or even setting up a sting operation.

Once evidence has been compiled against the defendant, a complaint will be filed or indictment will be presented to a grand jury. If the case proceeds, the defendant must decide whether to plead guilty or not guilty, and if not guilty, the case will proceed to trial. At trial, a jury will hear evidence from the prosecutor and from your attorneys, and a jury will decide on guilt. If a defendant is found guilty, the trial will move to a sentencing phase. A federal judge might impose the harshest sentence possible, or may impose no additional jail time based on the arguments and evidence presented. In many cases, federal sentencing guidelines provide a range of punishments for the judge to impose.

Work with Tough Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys from the Start

Because a federal case can be so long and complex, and what happens at the very beginning of an investigation can make the difference between freedom and a lengthy prison term, it is important to work with tough, experienced criminal defense attorneys from the very start of an investigation. The best way to avoid guilt on a federal criminal charge is to work with lawyers who can represent you in front of investigators and avoid a criminal charge altogether. We will force the investigators to play by the rules and respect your constitutional rights, and will make sure that no evidence is improperly seized and that your rights are always represented in all interviews, information requests, searches, line-ups and so on.

We will continue to zealously fight for your rights through all aspects of a prosecution to win a dismissal or reduced sentence. Federal crimes often involve mandatory minimums and dealing with the federal sentencing guidelines, and, as such, the arguments you put forth in the sentencing phase are extremely important. As former prosecutors with decades of experience, we have the know-how and skills to make sure that the federal government does not take advantage of you and that you assert your best possible defense through every step of the process, from initial investigations to, if necessary, sentencing and appeals.

Contact Our Winter Park Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys

If you have been arrested, arraigned, or are under investigation for a federal crime, contact Cotter & Zelman, P.A. to get professional assistance in defending your freedom. Contact us at 407-629-4711 to schedule a free consultation.

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