Cleveland Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

You have the right to a lawyer before answering questions. A federal criminal defense attorney can advise you whether to speak with investigators and can communicate with them for you.

How long does a federal case take?

The timeline depends on the charges, the amount of evidence, and whether the case goes to trial. Your attorney can give you a realistic estimate after reviewing your case.

Can federal charges be reduced or dismissed?

Yes, in some cases. Charges may be reduced through negotiation with federal prosecutors, challenged through pretrial motions, or dismissed if the evidence does not support them.

I was charged somewhere else in Ohio. Can you still help?

Federal charges are heard in the federal court where the alleged offense occurred, so a case from elsewhere in Ohio may proceed in a different federal courthouse. Our Ohio federal criminal defense attorneys represent clients across the state.

Cleveland Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys

At Patituce & Associates, LLC, we have established a reputation for being aggressive, diligent, and dedicated to our clients. We stand proudly by our reputation and have a track record for getting results. Attorney Joseph Patituce, a former Cuyahoga County prosecutor, is our firm's managing partner. In his career, he has had a success rate of 95% at trial; however, keep in mind that every single case is different. Merely being successful in the past does not mean it will always happen.

Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialist

Joseph C. Patituce

Joseph C. Patituce has been board certified in Criminal Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) since 2017 and chairs the NBTA committee responsible for evaluating and approving criminal trial specialists. He is one of only eight board-certified criminal trial specialists in Ohio. He began his legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, serving from 2007 to 2010. He is admitted to practice in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Kentucky, before the Supreme Court of the United States, and before several federal courts, including the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Read the full attorney profile.

What Is a Federal Offense?

A federal crime is one in which the defendant is accused of violating federal law. Generally, with these offenses, the prohibited conduct crosses state lines or country borders. This may involve physical movement from one place to another, for instance, if a person transports drugs from Ohio to Indiana. It can also consist of the act itself occurring in different locations, for example, if someone in Ohio emails a person in Pennsylvania to further a pyramid scheme. For a closer look at one example, see Is kidnapping always a federal crime?

Federal crimes also include unlawful conduct that takes place on federal property or affects the U.S. government in some way. For example, driving while under the influence in a national park can be prosecuted as a federal DUI. Or, knowingly failing to file taxes is a federal fraud offense.

Most Common Federal Crimes

Our Cleveland federal crime attorneys defend clients in the Northern District of Ohio against federal charges such as:

• Murder: Under federal law, murder can be charged in the first or second degree. The degree is tied to how the offense occurred. Violations considered first-degree murder include, but are not limited to: planning the crime, using poison, lying in wait, committing it during another offense, or committing it after a pattern of assault or torture against a child. All other conduct resulting in the death of another is second-degree murder.
• Tax Crimes: Several types of conduct can be considered federal tax fraud. A few examples of these crimes include evading taxes, failing to pay taxes, failing to file a tax return, and making false statements on tax returns.
• Fraud: Fraud crimes involve the use of deception to unlawfully obtain benefits, property, or other items of value. Types of offenses include mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and securities fraud.
• Conspiracy: A person may be prosecuted under the federal conspiracy law if it is alleged that they, in concert with one or more others, planned to commit a crime against or defraud the United States. At least one of the other people involved must have taken steps to further the offense.
• Drug Crimes: Prohibited acts under Section 841 of Title 21 of the United States Code include unlawfully manufacturing, creating, distributing, or dispensing controlled or counterfeit substances; possessing chemicals with the intent to manufacture controlled substances; using the Internet to sell or dispense drugs. Section 844 of Title 21 of the United States Code prohibits simple possession of controlled substances.
• Child Pornography: Federal child pornography laws make it illegal for anyone to produce, distribute, transport, receive, access, or view images depicting a person under 18 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
• Sex Crimes: Broadly, federal sex crimes laws concern unlawful sexual contact or conduct committed against one or more persons. Offenses include, but are not limited to sex trafficking, child pornography, aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and abusive sexual conduct.
• Weapon Crimes: Federal weapons offenses involve unlawfully using, possessing, carrying, selling, manufacturing, and/or transporting of deadly weapons. Deadly weapons include firearms, explosives, knives, silencers, and ammunition.

As former prosecutors, we understand the consequences and difficult road clients have before them. Once an individual has been charged with federal crimes, they face a fierce opponent in the U.S. attorneys trying to prosecute them. As Ohio federal criminal defense attorneys, we help clients in Ohio and across the United States charged with federal crimes ranging from federal drug charges to federal conspiracy charges.