Salinas Federal Crimes Attorney
Aggressively Defending You against Serious Charges in Monterey & the Surrounding Counties
Committing any crime which violates United States federal law can be considered
and prosecuted as a federal crime. Federal crimes are among the most serious
and carry severe penalties for a conviction.
While most crimes, such as rape, assault, and theft, are state crimes, federal crimes are usually tied to a national issue, such as interstate drug trafficking, federal tax fraud, child pornography, and others.
Call Law Offices of William V. Pernik today at (831) 273-3152 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with our federal crime defense attorneys in Salinas.
We proudly serve clients throughout Monterey County from our office in Salinas. We accept cases in Santa Cruz, San Benito, Carmel, and select cases from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
Types of Federal Crimes
Federal crimes that we have extensive experience with include:
- Forgery
- Tax evasion
- RICO charges
- Identity theft
- Drug trafficking
- All types of fraud
- Money laundering
- Child pornography
Since federal crimes directly affect topics of national concern, they are, naturally, prosecuted more harshly and taken more seriously than state crimes. As such, the maximum punishments for federal crimes are much higher than the maximum punishments for state crimes. Also, federal prosecutors and judges have far less discretion to negotiate plea bargains and exercise lenient sentencing than their state counterparts. Therefore, it is in your best interests to retain an experienced federal criminal defense attorney in Salinas to protect your rights and fight for your freedom.
What are the Federal Sentencing Guidelines?
The United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines were established with the intention of providing federal judges with set sentencing ranges for criminal offenders. Based on numerous factors – such as the nature and circumstances of the crime, as well as the criminal history and characteristics of the alleged offender – the judge will use the guidelines to help determine the alleged offender’s punishment. There are 43 levels of offenses laid out in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and 6 categories of criminal history, which are based on the number and recency of past offenses. A higher level of offense indicates more severe penalties.
Once a base level of offense is determined, the end offense level will be reached by taking into account numerous factors such as if a weapon was used in the commission of the crime, if great bodily harm was inflicted, or if pictures or videos were used in a child pornography case. However, a judge may lower the final offense level if the alleged offender accepts their responsibility. For example, if the defendant made restitution prior to a guilty verdict, pled guilty, or truthfully admitted their role in the crime, their offense may be decreased by two levels, thereby receiving more lenient penalties. A skilled federal defense attorney in Salinas will have a comprehensive understanding of these sentencing guidelines and use this knowledge to their clients’ benefit.
Call our experienced federal criminal defense lawyers in Salinas today at (831) 273-3152 and schedule a free consultation.