Hawaii Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys

While there is no statutory definition of a white-collar federal crime, the term is commonly used to describe financial federal offenses such as healthcare fraud, investment fraud, embezzlement, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, and wire fraud. White-collar federal crimes have become the recent focus of federal laws and enforcement officers/prosecutors. White-collar cases are handled by special teams of prosecutors and require a Hawaii federal criminal defense attorney with extensive experience handling this particular type of case.

Most federal criminal cases proceed in the same manner. First, federal law enforcement agents receive a tip, usually from an individual or another government agency. This triggers an investigation into the allegations. Federal investigations are almost always conducted in secret to prevent the subject of the investigation from learning of the allegations. Once federal officers are finished with their investigation, they present their case to a grand jury. If the grand jury determines that there is probable cause to believe that the subject committed the federal crimes alleged by the U.S. Attorney, it will return a true bill. This allows the federal prosecutor to seek an indictment. An indictment is the formal bringing of federal court charges against a defendant. If you recently learned that you are under investigation for a federal crime or were indicted for federal crimes, it is imperative that you reach out to our dedicated Hawaii federal criminal defense attorneys, who have years of knowledge and experience when it comes to federal sentencing guidelines and dealing with the federal court.

Retaining the assistance of a Hawaii federal criminal defense attorney is crucial if you are either under investigation or were recently indicted. Federal prosecutors are highly skilled and rarely make mistakes. And given that you do not have the luxury of sitting back to see how the investigation progresses; by the time you learn of the investigation it is well underway. The earlier you reach out to a Hawaii federal criminal defense lawyer, the better they can mitigate against the possibility of a conviction. This may be by discussing the case with prosecutors before an indictment in hopes of avoiding charged being filed in the first place. However, even if charges are filed, that is not the end of the story. A skilled Hawaii federal criminal defense attorney will develop a compelling defense strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office issues target letters to those whom it plans to file federal criminal charges against. In most cases, a target letter is an indication that the federal government is already in the advanced stages of its case, and you may soon be indicted. If you are in receipt of a target letter, your first step should be to reach out to a dedicated Hawaii federal attorney. An attorney can review the government’s case, identifying if there are any weaknesses and help you determine the best way to proceed.

The first thing you should do if you are indicted is to reach out to a trusted Hawaii federal criminal defense attorney. If you’ve been indicted, that means that the government has already presented its case against you to a grand jury, which found there was probable cause to believe you committed the federal crime. Of course, this does not mean you are guilty of the offense. There are many different defenses to federal criminal charges, and discussing your case with an experienced Hawaii federal criminal defense attorney is the first step in assessing the strength of the government’s case and identifying any possible defenses.

A grand jury is a group of people that review a federal prosecutor’s case to determine if there is probable cause to bring charges. Grand juries meet in secret, meaning you will not know if you are under investigation. Also, there is no judge present during grand jury proceedings, meaning the prosecutor is the only side that presents evidence. Federal prosecutors can issue grand jury subpoenas, demanding parties either testify in front of the grand jury or produce evidence that the prosecutor believes is relevant to their case. If you recently received a grand jury subpoena or were indicted for a federal crime, reach out to a dedicated Hawaii federal defense attorney immediately to discuss your options and how to protect your interests.

If you receive a grand jury subpoena, it may mean that you are under investigation for a federal crime; however, that is not necessarily the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can issue a subpoena either requesting you to produce evidence that it believes is relevant to an open federal investigation. Grand jury subpoenas are also used to demand a person’s presence at a grand jury proceeding. Providing evidence, either through documents, video, bank records or live testimony opens up the risk of federal prosecutors discovering something that can result in an additional investigation. Thus, if you are in receipt of a grand jury subpoena, don’t speak with prosecutors until you consult with a dedicated Hawaii federal criminal lawyer first.