Finding a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney in Michigan

Michigan Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys

The Barone Defense Firm consists of some of Michigan’s top Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers. Lead Federal Attorney Keith Corbett is a former United States Attorney. He has been practicing federal criminal law for more than 35 years, and has received numerous awards for his skillful federal practice.

Karl Numinen has been practicing federal criminal defense for nearly as long. Karl is a former president of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. After a statewide search, Karl was selected to be the Editor of a three-volume criminal defense practice manual (Lexis Publishing, in print).

Patrick Barone and Michael Boyle are also highly regarded criminal defense lawyers.

Finally, Michael Skinner handles the Firm’s appeals to the Federal Appeals Courts.

Our team of federal criminal defense lawyers, led by senior Federal attorney Keith Corbett, has handled a combined total of several hundred federal criminal court cases.

What Should I do if I’m the Target of a Federal Criminal Investigation?

If you have reason to believe that you are the target of a Federal Investigation, the first thing to do is figure out why this might be true. Investigations at the Federal Level can proceed for many years before you know anything about it.

When you retain a federal criminal attorney from the Barone Defense Firm, you will have a team of lawyers working to quickly determine the nature and scope of the allegations against you. We will also engage in extensive discussions with you, and where required and with your permission, we will also interview your employees, friends, and family.

Once we have this information, we can begin to fashion a custom-tailored defense strategy. Our goal will be to minimize the disruption to your business and affairs. Where possible we will seek to stop the prosecution altogether, and where conviction occurs, minimize the consequences.

Federal criminal investigations can take many months, or even years. This investigation often happens by the government behind closed doors well before formal charges are filed. Early intervention by our experienced federal criminal lawyers can help keep charges from being brought or substantially change the course of the investigation.

How Will You Know You’re Being Investigated for a Federal Crime?

In some cases, you may first learn that you or your business are being investigated when you receive a target letter. A target letter can be sent to a witness. A form manual used by the Federal Government suggests that target letters be used to provide information a witness who is scheduled to appear before the federal Grand Jury.

The letter will explain a few things about what to expect and how grand juries work. The letter may also indicate that the grand jury is investigating possible federal crimes involving a specified person or group of people. The Target letter will also indicate that certain documents are to be provided, and that destruction or alteration of any document required to be produced before the grand jury can result in additional charges of Obstruction of Justice.

Sometimes our clients only learn that they have been targeted by the Federal Government when the FBI arrive at their door to execute a search warrant.

If you have any reason to believe you are being investigated for a federal crime, call the team of Federal defense lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm as soon as possible.

Federal Criminal Cases are Often Extraordinarily Complex

Many Federal Offenses consist of many different elements and may involve several or even dozens of individuals. The are also thoroughly investigated, with various branches of State and Federal Law Enforcement involved. Add to this the fact that Federal crimes may be supported by hundreds or even thousands of documents, and you can see how they can very quickly and easily become overwhelmingly complex.

Federal procedure is complex as well. There are nine steps in a Federal Criminal Case. These all happen after the Federal investigation. Once charged, the case will begin with a federal arraignment. Next there will be a Federal pretrial, and Federal discovery will be exchanged. Where appropriate or necessary, pretrial motions will be filed. Along the way the lawyers will discuss possible plea agreements and engage in plea bargaining or negotiation.

If a plea is reached, there will be a plea hearing before a Federal District Court Judge or Magistrate. Next will come a meeting with the court’s probation department. If changes need to be made to the department’s pre-sentence report, then there will be hearings on this issue. Finally, there will be a sentencing hearing.

If the case is not resolved through plea negotiations, then a trial will be necessary. There are nine phases or states to a Federal Criminal Trial.

What Makes the Federal Lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm Stand Out?

For one thing, the complexity does not intimidate us. We’re used to dealing with complex federal crimes. Keith Corbett was the head of the Federal Government’s organized crime unit for a couple of decades. As a federal prosecutor Keith learned what makes a government investigation tick. He and the entire federal defense team at the Barone Defense Firm will use this knowledge against the Government in our defense of your case.

We will use this knowledge, experience and all the various insights we’ve gained to anticipate and then defuse the Federal Prosecutor’s (also called an Assistant United States Attorney or AUSA’s) strategies. We’ve seen how the Government acts during investigations and prosecutions. We’ll use our knowledge to counteract these tactics and to proactively assert defenses on behalf of our clients.

Using this knowledge and experience we will attempt to mitigate your risk of conviction and reduce the consequences at sentencing to below the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Our Law Firm will use our decades of experience in business investigations, criminal law and procedure, and cyber forensics to uncover details whose nuances might evade other lawyers. The details can be the difference between winning or losing – and the difference between jail time or probation.

Our past and current clients include good, honest, hardworking people. They may be small business owners. We represent and have represented many healthcare providers.

What to Do if You’ve Been Charged with a Federal Crime

If you are charged or think you might be charged with a Federal Crime, contact the Federal Defense Attorneys at the Barone Defense Firm at and schedule your free criminal case review.

Contact us 24 hours a day at our law firm’s easy to remember toll-free number, 1-877-ALL-MICH or 877-255-6424,