Michigan Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers

At Neumann Law Group, our Michigan criminal defense lawyers represent people under federal investigation and indictment across the state, from Detroit and the Eastern District to Grand Rapids and the Western District. Federal matters reach our offices in many forms: a target letter from a United States Attorney, a predawn search warrant, a grand jury subpoena, or an arrest that follows months of quiet surveillance. Each one starts a process that rewards early and careful decisions. Our broader Michigan criminal defense practice covers the full range of state and federal charges, with federal cases sitting at the most serious end of that work.

What Makes a Crime a Federal Offense in Michigan?

Whether a case lands in state or federal court is not about geography alone. It turns on which sovereign’s law the conduct is said to violate and which agency investigates. A drug sale charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor stays in Michigan circuit court. The same conduct, charged by the Drug Enforcement Administration and a United States Attorney, becomes a federal case with a different rulebook and different consequences.

Federal jurisdiction does not depend on where a person lives. It attaches when conduct violates a federal statute or affects a federal interest, such as crossing state lines, moving through the interstate banking or wire systems, or involving federal property, agencies, or benefit programs. The same act can sometimes violate both Michigan and federal law, which permits prosecution in either system or, in rare instances, both, under the dual sovereignty principle the Supreme Court reaffirmed in Gamble v. United States in 2019.

Which Court Hears Federal Cases in Michigan?

Michigan is divided into two federal trial courts. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan sits in Detroit, with courthouses in Ann Arbor, Flint, Port Huron, and Bay City, and covers the southeastern and central counties. The Western District sits in Grand Rapids, with courthouses in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Traverse City, and covers western Michigan and the entire Upper Peninsula. Appeals from both run to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, and the districts and their divisions are fixed by 28 U.S.C. 102.

The Eastern District carries one of the heavier criminal dockets in the Sixth Circuit. Its United States Attorney’s Office covers 34 counties and employs roughly 135 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, according to the U.S. Department of Justice as of 2025. For people in metro Detroit, that often means a case in the federal courthouse downtown rather than in Wayne County circuit court. Our Detroit criminal defense team handles matters in both forums.

What Charges Do Federal Prosecutors Bring Most Often?

Federal practice tends to concentrate in a handful of areas. Drug trafficking and distribution cases proceed under 21 U.S.C. 841 and related conspiracy provisions. Firearm cases commonly involve possession by a felon under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug or violent crime under 18 U.S.C. 924(c). Financial cases run through the mail and wire fraud statutes at 18 U.S.C. 1341 and 1343, bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1344, and health care fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1347. Many indictments add a conspiracy count under 18 U.S.C. 371 or 1349 and a money laundering count under 18 U.S.C. 1956.

Conspiracy charges deserve particular attention. A person can face a conspiracy count without ever personally completing the underlying crime, based on an agreement and a connection to the scheme. This is one reason federal exposure can be broader than a defendant assumes from the conduct alone.

What Penalties and Sentencing Rules Apply in Federal Court?

Federal sentences are calculated under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, which assign an offense level and a criminal history category that together produce a recommended range. A judge must consider that range but may vary from it after weighing the factors in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a). Some statutes impose mandatory minimums that a judge cannot go below, and a firearm count under 18 U.S.C. 924(c) runs consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

Two features of the federal system surprise people coming from state court. First, federal prison has no parole, so a sentence is served in full apart from limited good-conduct credit. Second, a conviction usually carries a term of supervised release that follows incarceration, along with restitution to victims and forfeiture of property tied to the offense. The financial and collateral consequences often extend well beyond the prison term itself.

How Do Mandatory Minimums and Cooperation Affect a Federal Sentence?

Some federal statutes set a floor the judge cannot go below. Drug offenses under 21 U.S.C. 841 carry mandatory minimums that climb with the quantity involved, and when prosecutors file a prior-conviction notice under 21 U.S.C. 851, a qualifying record can raise or double that minimum. A firearm count under 18 U.S.C. 924(c) adds its own mandatory term that runs consecutively to the underlying sentence. In practice, the charging decision often controls the outcome more than the guideline math that follows.

Two paths can bring a sentence below a mandatory minimum. The safety valve at 18 U.S.C. 3553(f) lets certain non-violent drug defendants with limited criminal history avoid the floor entirely. Substantial assistance to the government, recognized under Section 5K1.1 of the guidelines, gives prosecutors the option to move for a reduction in exchange for cooperation. Both carry real tradeoffs, and the decision to cooperate is one of the most consequential a defendant makes. A timely acceptance of responsibility can also lower the offense level before any of these factors come into play. Under Section 3E1.1 of the guidelines, that reduction can drop the offense level by up to three levels, which often translates into a meaningfully shorter recommended range.

Geography matters too. Cases tied to the I-75 and I-94 corridors or to interdiction at Detroit Metropolitan Airport generally land in the Eastern District, while matters across western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula proceed in the Western District. The two offices follow different practices on charging and resolution, and knowing the local terrain shapes strategy from the first appearance.

How Neumann Law Group Defends Federal Charges

At Neumann Law Group, our defense work in a federal case starts well before any courtroom appearance. When the government is still investigating, the early choices, whether to respond to a target letter, whether to sit for a proffer, what to preserve, and what to say to agents, can shape the entire case. We move quickly to understand the government’s theory, identify search and seizure issues under the Fourth Amendment, and test whether the evidence supports each element charged.

Our attorneys are admitted in Michigan, Massachusetts, California, and New York and bring trial experience to cases that many lawyers resolve only by plea. The firm has been recognized in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and our team works across the Eastern and Western Districts from offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City. Where a resolution makes sense, we focus on guideline calculations, mitigation, and variance arguments that can change the recommended range. Where trial is the right course, we prepare for it. You can learn more about our criminal defense attorneys and their backgrounds. Consultations are free and available 24/7.

Can a Person Be Charged in Both State and Federal Court?

Yes. Under the dual sovereignty doctrine, the State of Michigan and the federal government are treated as separate sovereigns, and each can prosecute conduct that violates its own laws. The Supreme Court reaffirmed this rule in Gamble v. United States in 2019, holding that a state prosecution and a federal prosecution arising from the same act are not the same offense for double jeopardy purposes. A person acquitted or convicted in state court can still face federal charges for the same underlying conduct, and the reverse is also true.

In day-to-day practice this comes up most often in drug, firearm, and fraud cases, where overlapping state and federal interest is common. The Department of Justice applies an internal policy that discourages a federal case after a state prosecution for the same conduct unless a substantial federal interest remains unvindicated, but that policy is a matter of prosecutorial discretion rather than a right a defendant can enforce. When both sovereigns are looking at the same facts, coordinating the defense across forums early can prevent a resolution in one court from creating exposure in the other.

How a Federal Case Moves From Investigation to Trial

Most federal cases begin quietly. Agencies such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation, or Homeland Security Investigations build a case through subpoenas, surveillance, cooperating witnesses, and grand jury testimony, sometimes for a year or more before any charge appears. A case formally starts with either a criminal complaint or, more often, a grand jury indictment.

Unlike Michigan’s bond system, federal court uses the Bail Reform Act, 18 U.S.C. 3142, which allows a judge to order a defendant held without bond when no condition will reasonably assure appearance or community safety. Detention hearings happen quickly, often within days of arrest, which is one reason early defense involvement matters in federal cases. After arraignment come discovery, pretrial motions, and a decision point on plea or trial. Throughout, the timing rules matter: most noncapital offenses must be charged within five years under 18 U.S.C. 3282.

Frequently Asked Questions About Federal Charges in Michigan

What Is the Difference Between State and Federal Charges in Michigan?

State charges are brought by a county prosecutor under Michigan law and heard in circuit court. Federal charges are brought by a United States Attorney under federal statutes such as Title 18 or Title 21 of the U.S. Code and heard in one of Michigan’s two federal district courts. Federal cases follow the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, and they generally carry higher exposure.

Do Federal Cases in Michigan Go to Detroit or Grand Rapids?

It depends on where the conduct occurred. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan sits in Detroit and covers the southeastern and central counties. The Western District sits in Grand Rapids and covers western Michigan and the entire Upper Peninsula. Venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. 102 and the federal venue statutes.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Most Federal Crimes?

Most noncapital federal offenses carry a five-year statute of limitations under 18 U.S.C. 3282. Certain offenses have longer periods, including a 10-year window for fraud affecting a financial institution under 18 U.S.C. 3293. A handful of crimes, such as capital offenses, have no limitations period at all.

Can a Person Be Charged in Both State and Federal Court for the Same Conduct?

Yes. Under the dual sovereignty doctrine, which the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed in Gamble v. United States in 2019, a state and the federal government are treated as separate sovereigns and may each prosecute the same conduct without violating double jeopardy. In practice this is uncommon and is often coordinated between state and federal prosecutors.

Does a Federal Charge Always Mean Prison Time?

No. Outcomes depend on the offense, the sentencing range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, any mandatory minimum, and the mitigation presented to the court. Some statutes carry mandatory minimum prison terms, while other cases resolve through probation, diversion, or charge reductions. A judge may also vary from the guideline range under 18 U.S.C. 3553(a).

What Should You Do If Federal Agents Want to Talk to You?

You are not required to answer questions from federal agents, and you have the right to speak with a lawyer first. Statements offered to seem cooperative can still be used against you, and giving false information to a federal agent is itself a crime under 18 U.S.C. 1001. The safer course is to stay polite, decline to answer, and call counsel before any interview.

What Does a Federal Target Letter Mean?

A target letter is a notice from a United States Attorney’s Office stating that a person is a target of a grand jury investigation. It signals that charges are under consideration but have not yet been filed. The period after a target letter arrives is often the most productive time to involve a lawyer, because the defense can sometimes influence the charging decision before an indictment issues.

Related Criminal Defense Practice Areas

• Drug crime charges are among the most common federal prosecutions and often carry mandatory minimum sentences under 21 U.S.C. 841.
• White collar and fraud charges frequently move into federal court when mail, wire, or banking systems are involved.
• Weapons and gun charges can be prosecuted federally, including felon-in-possession cases under 18 U.S.C. 922(g).

Talk to a Michigan Federal Defense Lawyer

A federal investigation rarely announces itself, and by the time charges arrive, the government has usually been working for months. If you have received a target letter, a subpoena, or a visit from federal agents anywhere in Michigan, the most important step is to talk with counsel before you talk with anyone else. At Neumann Law Group, our Michigan federal criminal defense lawyers offer a free, confidential case review, are available 24/7, and work from offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City. Call (800) 525-6386 or contact our office to discuss what you are facing.