This article covers the major categories of federal criminal law and the government agencies that enforce them, including the U.S. Attorneys that prosecute defendants in federal district court.
Federal Crimes And Enforcement Agencies
Inside the federal court are those lawyers, judges, and administrators that make up the workings of the federal criminal justice system. The federal criminal justice system vastly differs from the state criminal court system, where most criminal law is practiced.
Types of Federal Crimes Tried in Federal District Court
Federal crimes are offenses that violate U.S. federal law. Federal law covers a wide range of federal crimes. Most federal criminal statutes fall under Titles 18 and 26 of the United States Code.
Common Federal Crimes
It’s important to note that while some of the crimes listed below are also state crimes, they are listed here as federal crimes because they either occurred on federal property or the commission of the crime involved crossing state lines.
Examples of federal crimes include:
- Cyber Crime
- White Collar Crime
- Burglary
- Fraud
- Sex Crimes
- Murder -Manslaughter
- Hate Crimes
- Credit Card Fraud
- Vandalism of Federal Property
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Drug Trafficking
- Drug Manufacturing
- Deportable Offences- Agrevated Felonies
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
Numerous federal law enforcement agencies investigate federal crimes. Those federal investigations that result in arrest are referred to U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Major Federal Enforcement Agencies include:
- U.S. Department of Justice: The lead executive federal law enforcement department of the United States government and is responsible for enforcing all federal laws and administration of justice in the United States. www.justice.gov
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) www.atf.gov
- Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) www.dea.gov
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) www.fbi.gov
- Office of the Inspector General (OIG) www.hhs.gov/oig
- Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) www.ice.gov
- United States Secret Service (S.S.) www.secretservice.gov
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) www.tsa.gov
- United States Marshals Service (USMS) www.justice.gov/marshals
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) www.ic3.gov
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children www.missingkids.com
The U.S. Attorney’s Office
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of the Department of Justice.
As of 2021, 93 U.S. Attorney Offices are located throughout the United States. Each office is assigned to a specific federal judicial district and is led by that district’s U.S. Attorney.
For example, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is Mr. Damian Williams. Mr. William’s Southern District Office employs an estimated 220 Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The Southern District of New York is considered the nation’s premier and most independent federal prosecutor office.
Federal Arrest
A federal arrest is when a suspect is believed to have committed a crime that violates federal law. In some cases, the offense violates both federal and state law.
The United States Marshal’s Service is the agency responsible for housing suspects arrested by federal authorities. The person arrested will likely be detained for some hours by the arresting agency for interrogation and processing. The defendant is then transported to the federal marshals. The marshals will usually place the person in a metropolitan correctional center.
The marshals will keep the person in custody until they are bailed out, the charges are dismissed, or the person is tried and sentenced.
If the person is sentenced to prison, the responsibility for housing the suspect passes to the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”).
Consult with A Criminal Defense Lawyer
Should you have additional questions or require more information, we recommend you consult a verified Federal Crimes Attorney as soon as possible.
