Federal Criminal Defense in Texas

Texas Federal Defense Lawyer

Federal court runs on different rules, different sentencing math, and different leverage points than state court. Our federal practice has tried cases in all four Texas districts for more than 25 years.

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Federal Crimes at Deandra Grant Law
Overview

Federal Criminal Defense from Deandra Grant Law

A federal criminal investigation is a different experience from a state arrest. Federal agencies (the FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation) investigate for months or years before charges are filed. They build detailed evidentiary records through wiretaps, informants, financial analysis, and digital forensics before a single warrant is executed. By the time federal agents knock on your door, they have often already gathered substantial evidence. The U.S. Attorney’s office that prosecutes your case operates with resources and institutional depth that far exceed what most state prosecutors bring to a case. 

Federal defense requires attorneys who know the federal system from the inside. Of Counsel James Lee Bright has more than 25 years of federal criminal trial experience and has appeared in all four Texas federal districts: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas. He has defended clients against the full range of federal charges, from drug trafficking and conspiracy to firearms offenses, fraud, and RICO. 

Federal vs State Crimes in Texas
A Different System

Four Things That Make Federal Court Different

The Sentencing Guidelines

Federal sentences come from a scoring system, not judicial instinct. The difference between an on-Guidelines sentence and a below-Guidelines variance can be years. We work that math in every case.

How the Sentencing Guidelines Work

Mandatory Minimums

Many federal statutes carry sentence floors no judge can waive. There are exactly two routes below one, and both must be argued correctly.

Safety Valve & 5K1.1

The Grand Jury

Federal charges start in a secret proceeding you have no right to attend. If you have received a target letter or a subpoena, the case has already started.

Federal Target Letters Grand Jury Subpoenas

Cooperation & Plea Dynamics

Most federal cases resolve by agreement, and cooperation decisions are among the most irreversible in the system. When to talk, and what it is worth, is strategy, not paperwork.

Federal Proffer Sessions
Before the Indictment

Contacted by Federal Agents?

Federal agencies build a case for months or years before anyone knocks on the door. If agents have reached out, or you have received a target letter or a grand jury subpoena, the decisions that matter most are the ones made before an indictment is returned.

Talk to a Federal Defense Lawyer
Know Your Opponent

Which Agency Is on Your Case?

Which agency knocked tells you a great deal about the case being built. Start with the agency that contacted you.

FBI

Violent crime, cybercrime, public corruption, and white collar cases.

ATF

Firearms, explosives, arson, and federal firearms licence inspections.

IRS Criminal Investigation

Tax evasion, money laundering, and the audit that turns criminal.

Federal Task Forces

How a local arrest becomes a federal case, and what that costs you.

During a federal investigation you have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. Use both, from the first contact.

Why Our Firm

Why Deandra Grant Law

Federal Trial Experience
James Lee Bright has tried federal cases for 25+ years and is admitted in all four Texas districts, the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Prosecutors know who will try a case.
Forensic and Scientific Capability
We challenge the government's evidence at the technical and scientific level, a combination of federal trial experience and forensic credentials few North and Central Texas firms can match.
Full Command of Federal Sentencing
On-Guidelines versus a below-Guidelines variance can mean years. We work the Guidelines, mandatory minimums, safety valve, and §3553(a) variance arguments.
Attorneys

Meet Our Federal Defense Attorneys

Meet the federal defense attorney who will personally handle your case.

Deandra M. Grant

Deandra M. Grant

Managing Partner
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James Lee Bright

James Lee Bright

Of Counsel
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Recognition

Recognized by the Legal Profession and the Press

Peer-reviewed ratings, bar honors, and the newsrooms that call us when a story breaks.

Awards & ratings
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Super Lawyers 2026
Avvo 10.0 Superb, Top Attorney Criminal Defense
Justia 10.0 Lawyer Rating
D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas
As seen in
ESPN The New York Times / The Athletic Reuters The Dallas Morning News NBC 5 DFW FOX 4 News WFAA CBS News Texas KXAN Yahoo Sports
Charges

Federal Charges We Defend

Explore the federal charges our attorneys defend in courts across Texas.

Conspiracy

Federal conspiracy charges can apply even without completing the underlying crime.

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Federal Drug Crimes

Federal drug charges carry mandatory minimum sentences measured in years or decades.

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Federal DWI

DWI on federal property is prosecuted in federal court, not state.

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Federal Fraud & Financial Crimes

Federal fraud prosecutions cover wire, mail, and many financial schemes.

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Federal Sex Crimes

Federal sex offense charges carry severe penalties and mandatory minimums.

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Federal Weapon Charges

Federal weapons charges carry mandatory minimums and ACCA sentencing enhancements.

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RICO

RICO charges target ongoing criminal enterprises and carry severe federal penalties.

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Felon in Possession

Section 922(g) has no five-year window and no premises exception, and the Armed Career Criminal Act adds a 15-year floor.

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The Federal Library

Every Stage of a Federal Case, Explained

Detailed guides to the process, the agencies, the charges, the statutes, and the courts. Open the group that matches where you are right now.

Start HereFrom the first letter through sentencing, appeal, and release. 15
Federal Target Letters A letter from the U.S. Attorney means charges are being considered. This is the moment that matters most. Federal Grand Jury Subpoenas What the subpoena means, what you must produce, and what you can refuse. How a Federal Criminal Case Works Every stage of a federal case, from the first knock to supervised release. Federal Bond & Detention Hearings Whether you go home while the case is pending, and how that fight is actually won. Federal Proffer Sessions The most irreversible decision in a federal case, and the protection is narrower than you think. How Federal Sentencing Guidelines Work How a number gets produced from your case, and every place it can be attacked. The Federal Sentencing Table The full Sentencing Table, and how to find your cell on it. Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences Which statutes carry a floor, how high, and the only two ways below it. Safety Valve & 5K1.1 There are exactly two routes below a mandatory minimum. Here is how each one works. Federal Criminal History Category How old convictions become points, and why a single point can cost you months. Federal Asset Forfeiture Defense When the government moves on your house, your car, and your bank accounts. Suppression & Franks Hearings Attacking the search, the warrant, and the affidavit the warrant rests on. Good Time, Earned Credits & Early Release How much of a federal sentence is actually served, and every route out earlier. Federal Supervised Release Violations How people go back to federal prison after they have already got out. Federal Criminal Appeals, Fifth Circuit Fourteen days to file. What wins on appeal, and what an appeal waiver does not cover.
Who Is Investigating YouHow federal investigations are built, and what to do when agents make contact. 3
Federal Investigation Defense Which agency is on your case tells you a great deal about the case being built. ATF Investigations Firearms, explosives, and arson, plus the licence inspection that becomes a criminal case. Federal Task Force Investigations How a local arrest becomes a federal case, and why that costs you the protections of Texas law.
Charges We DefendThe federal charges filed most often in Texas, statute by statute. 9
Texas White Collar Crime Defense Fraud, tax, money laundering, and securities cases, and the loss figure that drives all of them. Federal Bribery & Public Corruption The statutes, and the run of Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed every one of them. 18 U.S.C. 924(c), Firearm During a Drug or Violent Crime A mandatory minimum that runs consecutively to everything else, and two Supreme Court decisions that narrowed it. Felon in Possession, 18 U.S.C. 922(g) No five-year window, no premises exception, and a 15-year mandatory minimum if the Armed Career Criminal Act applies. Hobbs Act Robbery, 18 U.S.C. 1951 How a convenience store robbery becomes a federal case, and the commerce element that makes it possible. Federal Carjacking, 18 U.S.C. 2119 Fifteen years, twenty-five if anyone was hurt, life if anyone died, and conditional intent is enough. Lying to a Federal Agent, 18 U.S.C. 1001 Five years for a conversation. No oath required, and there is no exculpatory-no exception. Federal Computer Crime & CFAA Defense The CFAA after Van Buren: misusing data you were allowed to access is no longer a federal crime. DWI on a Military Base Prosecuted in federal court under Texas law, with consequences no state case carries.
The Statutes, in Plain EnglishLook up the number on your charging document and find out what it means. 7
Federal Criminal Statutes, Explained Look up the statute number on your charging document and find out what it actually means. 18 U.S.C. 1028A, Aggravated Identity Theft A mandatory two years, stacked consecutively on top of everything else, narrowed sharply by the Supreme Court in 2023. 21 U.S.C. 851, Prior Drug Conviction Enhancement A filing that can double your mandatory minimum, and a procedure the government sometimes gets wrong. 18 U.S.C. 875(c), Interstate Threats Threats sent by text, email, or social media, and the mental state the First Amendment now requires. 18 U.S.C. 2422(b), Online Enticement of a Minor A ten-year mandatory minimum, and most prosecutions involve no actual minor at all. 18 U.S.C. 1512, Witness Tampering & Obstruction The charge prosecutors bring when the underlying case is weak, and it is easier to prove. 18 U.S.C. 1519, Destruction of Records Twenty years for deleting a file, and no investigation needs to have been filed, or even opened.
The CourtsWhere your case is docketed, and what that changes about defending it. 4
The Four Federal Districts of Texas Which court your case lands in, where it sits, and what that changes. Northern District of Texas Dallas, Fort Worth, and five more divisions across 100 counties of North and West Texas. Eastern District of Texas Sherman, Plano, Tyler, Beaumont and more: 43 counties covering the fastest-growing suburbs in Texas. Earle Cabell Federal Building The Dallas federal courthouse: what is inside it, and what to expect on your first visit.
Where We Defend

Federal Courts in North Texas

Federal cases do not follow county lines. Wherever your case is docketed, we are admitted there.

Northern District

Dallas, Fort Worth, and five more divisions across North and West Texas.

Federal Defense in the Northern District

Eastern District

Sherman, Plano, Tyler, Beaumont, and the fastest-growing suburbs in Texas.

Federal Defense in the Eastern District

Earle Cabell Federal Building

The Dallas federal courthouse: what is inside it, and what to expect on your first visit.

Read the Courthouse Guide
Resources

What Our Attorneys Have Published

Articles, videos, and guides that explain how federal cases work, from indictment and detention through the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Books & guidesAll Books & Guides
Understanding The Federal Criminal Justice System

Understanding The Federal Criminal Justice System

Read the Guide
ArticlesAll Articles
Jul 28, 2026

Removed for Dismissing Cases on His Own

Read Article Jul 28, 2026

The Fight in the Parking Lot

Read Article Jun 29, 2026

Hunter v U.S: Limits of a Federal Appeal Waiver

Read Article
VideoVideo Library

FAQ

Federal Defense Questions, Answered

Straight answers to what people ask most after a federal charge or investigation in Texas.

How are federal charges different from state charges?

Different prosecutors, different rules, and different math. Federal cases are investigated for months before charges are filed, sentenced through the Guidelines rather than judicial discretion, and often carry mandatory minimums. And because state and federal governments are separate sovereigns, Double Jeopardy does not prevent both from prosecuting the same conduct.

How a federal criminal case works in Texas

What should I do if I learn I am under federal investigation?

Retain federal counsel before charges are filed, and say nothing to agents without your lawyer present. A target letter, a subpoena to someone you know, or a knock from agents all mean the case has already started, and pre-indictment is when the defense has the most room to work.

What a federal target letter means

What are the Federal Sentencing Guidelines?

A scoring system that converts your offense level and criminal history into an advisory sentencing range. The number can be attacked at nearly every step of its calculation, and the difference between ranges is measured in years.

How the Federal Sentencing Guidelines work

Can I get bond in a federal case?

Often, but it is a fight, not a formality. Federal detention hearings run on their own rules, and how that hearing is prepared frequently decides whether you go home while the case is pending.

Federal bond and detention hearings

Which federal courts do you handle cases in?

All four Texas districts (Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western), the Fifth Circuit, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The four federal districts of Texas

How much does a federal defense lawyer cost?

More than a state case, because the work is bigger: pre-indictment strategy, Guidelines litigation, and government evidence measured in terabytes. We are direct about numbers at the first call, and the consultation is free.

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Your Defense Starts Now

Under Federal Investigation or Charged?

In federal cases, the most important decisions often come before an indictment. The sooner you have a defense lawyer, the more can be done. Talk to us today.

Dallas (HQ)
3300 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 225-7117
Fort Worth
4500 Airport Freeway, Suite 101
Fort Worth, TX 76117
(817) 631-6522
Waco
605 Austin Avenue, Suite 5
Waco, TX 76701
(254) 735-3588
Allen
1333 W. McDermott Drive, Suite 180
Allen, TX 75013
(972) 848-8828
Rockwall
1101 Ridge Road, Suite 201
Rockwall, TX 75087
(469) 253-6999
Denton
1317 E. McKinney Street, Suite 101A
Denton, TX 76209
(940) 600-5536
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