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Faced 5+ Years in Prison

People Vs Joseph Amico

Covered by NYDaily News. Las Vegas man accused of threatening a prominent attorney and making vile remarks.

Faced 10+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Anna Sorokin

Covered by New York Times, and other outlets. Fake heiress accused of conning the city’s wealthy, and has an HBO special being made about her.

Faced 3+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Genevieve Sabourin

Accused of stalking Alec Baldwin. The case garnered nationwide attention, with USAToday, NYPost, and other media outlets following it closely.

Faced Potential Charges

Ghislaine Maxwell Juror

Juror who prompted calls for new Ghislaine Maxwell trial turns to lawyer who defended Anna Sorokin.

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Meet Todd Spodek

WE PROVIDE WHITE GLOVE SERVICE TO CLIENTS
WHO WANT MORE FROM THEIR ATTORNEY

The Spodek Law Group understands how delicate high-profile cases can be, and has a strong track record of getting positive outcomes. Our lawyers service a clientele that is nationwide. With offices in both LA and NYC, and cases all across the country - Spodek Law Group is a top tier law firm.

Todd Spodek is a second generation attorney with immense experience. He has many years of experience handling 100’s of tough and hard to win trials. He’s been featured on major news outlets, such as New York Post, Newsweek, Fox 5 New York, South China Morning Post, Insider.com, and many others.

In 2022, Netflix released a series about one of Todd’s clients: Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin.

Why Clients Choose Spodek Law Group

The reason is simple: clients want white glove service, and lawyers who can win. Every single client who works with the Spodek Law Group is aware that the attorney they hire could drastically change the outcome of their case. Hiring the Spodek Law Group means you’re taking your future seriously. Our lawyers handle cases nationwide, ranging from NYC to LA. Our philosophy is fair and simple: our nyc criminal lawyers only take on clients who we know will benefit from our services.

We’re selective about the clients we work with, and only take on cases we know align with our experience – and where we can make a difference. This is different from other law firms who are not invested in your success nor care about your outcome.

If you have a legal issue, call us for a consultation.
We are available 24/7, to help you with any – and all, challenges you face.

Sentencing For Federal Drug Crimes In New York

NYC Federal Drug Crimes Lawyers

Drug Schedules

There are five schedules of drugs subject to control under the federal law. The schedules are designated I, II, III, IV and V, respectively. The law provides different penalties and regulatory provisions, depending in part upon the schedule in which a drug is listed. The tightest controls and most severe penalties are imposed for offenses involving drugs listed in Schedules I or II. The Act contains an initial listing of drugs for each schedule.

Schedule I Includes Heroin, Marijuana, LSD, Mescaline, and Peyote

The statutory criteria for the inclusion of drugs in Schedule I are:

  • a high potential for abuse; and
  • absence of any currently accepted medical use; and
  • lack of safety even under medical supervision.

Of the drugs listed in Schedule I, heroin, marijuana, LSD, mescaline, peyote and psilocybin are the most commonly used in federal drug prosecutions.

 Schedule II Includes Opium, Cocaine, Methadone, and Amphetamine

The statutory criterian4 for the inclusion of drugs in Schedule II are:

  • a high potential for abuse;
  • a currently accepted medical use in the United States; or
  • a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions; and
  • a potential for severe psychological or physical dependence.

The initial listing of Schedule II drugs included opium, cocaine, and methadone, as well as many other substances. Methamphetamine and amphetamine were added to Schedule II by federal regulation.

Schedule III Includes Nalorphine

The statutory criterian6 for including drugs in Schedule III are:

  • a potential for abuse less than that of drugs in Schedule I and Schedule II; and
  • a currently accepted medical use in the United States; and
  • a potential to create moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.

Anabolic steroids and lysergic acid are among the controlled substances within this Schedule.

 Schedule IV Includes Meprobamate, Barbital, Chloral Hydrate, and Paraldehyde

The statutory criterian7 for including drugs in Schedule IV are:

  • a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs in Schedule III; and
  • a currently accepted use in medical treatment in the United States; and
  • a potential to create limited physical or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in Schedule III.

Among the drugs listed in Schedule IV, the most familiar are: meprobamate, a well-known tranquilizer; barbital, a member of the barbiturate class; chloral hydrate, known as knock out drops when mixed with alcohol; and paraldehyde. For the most part, drugs included in Schedule IV are either hypnotics (drugs which induce sleep) or sedatives (drugs which relieve anxiety).

Schedule V Includes Codeine Combined with Small Amounts of Other Ingredients

The criteria for the inclusion of drugs in Schedule V are:

  • a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs in Schedule IV; and
  • a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and
  • a potential for limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in Schedule IV.

The drugs listed in Schedule V are compounds containing small quantities of certain narcotic drugs such as codeine combined with non-narcotic medicinal ingredients. To be included in Schedule V, the preparation must include at least one non-narcotic active medicinal ingredient in such proportion as to confer upon the preparation valuable medicinal qualities other than those possessed by the narcotic drug alone.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines

Federal criminal justice system is completely different from the state criminal justice system. That is especially true when it comes to sentencing issues. Some of the most commonly prosecuted crimes in federal courts are drug crimes.

One of the most important factors controlling sentencing under Drug Abuse and Control Act are Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The criminal provisions of the comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act did not just change existing law. Serious changes occurred by the adoption of newly defined federal drug crimes and totally new sentencing provisions.

Most of the revised sentencing provisions of the comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act provided broad ranges within which sentences could be imposed, including, for many offenses, specified mandatory minimum sentences. Beyond the specified mandatory minimums, federal sentencing is driven and controlled almost entirely by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The Sentencing Guidelines became discretionary, although a significant factor in the federal sentencing process, the United State Supreme Court ruled that they are no longer mandatory in United States v. Booker.

The Booker case made the Guidelines advisory but they still have a huge impact on the sentencing process. Judges are obligated to calculate the proper Guidelines recommended sentence and use that as one of numerous sentencing considerations. Therefore, important factors that can lower the Guidelines calculation in effect provides a lower starting point for the ultimate sentencing determination.

The cooperation with the government is absolutely critical when it comes to determining the sentence. Before Booker, in order for the judge to even consider depart from the Guidelines based on the defendant’s cooperation, the Government needed to file a Motion asking the judge to do so. After Booker, it’s no loner necessary. The Government may file such a Motion or the defense may simply ask the judge to consider cooperation as grounds for a lower sentence. In some cases, cooperation may even permit a judge to sentence the defendant below a mandatory minimum.

The issue of cooperation is one of the most important issues in a federal criminal case. While some defendants may not be willing to cooperate and have no interest in pleading guilty, for others it is the only optimal option. Cooperation is not for everyone. A person who is not guilty should not be pleading guilty and cooperating with the government. Still, cooperation must be seriously discussed with your defense attorney as early as possible in the case. In most federal drug cases, by the time the arrest is made, the federal prosecutors have accumulated high volumes of evidence, including undercover purchases, video surveillance, phone taps, and other types of evidence. Therefore, the question of cooperation should be brought up and seriously discussed.

The truth is that the federal drug cases usually have multiple defendants and those who cooperate first get the greatest sentencing reduction. How exactly this works depends on which district hears the case and the particular judges. However, considering the draconian sentencing practices under the mandatory sentencing and guideline sentencing provisions, it is very important for the defendant to consider cooperation.

Quantity of Controlled Substance

Although the Guidelines for drugs largely emphasize the quantity of the controlled substance, an individual defendant may be liable for a smaller quantity than that proved for the entire conspiracy. This is known as the principle of ”foreseeability”. This means that the court must determine what amount of drugs was reasonably foreseeable by the particular defendant, based upon his involvement in the particular conspiracy.

Pleading Guilty

A defendant may have points deducted from his Guidelines calculation based upon pleading guilty early in the stages of prosecution.

Defendant Has Minimal Criminal History and Crime Was Non-Violent

A judge may sentence below the statutory mandatory minimum, but still pursuant to the Guidelines, where the defendant has a minimal prior criminal history; the offense did not involve weapons, violence, or threats of violence; the defendant was not a leader, organizer, manager or supervisor of others in the offense; and the defendant has disclosed to the government all he/she knew about the crime and related crimes no later than the time of sentencing.

 There are many criminal defense attorneys but not all of them are well equipped to represent clients in federal cases. A lawyer must have a very good knowledge of federal sentencing law in order to be provide the competent and effective representation of clients in a federal drug prosecution.

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Testimonials

I was searching for a law firm with some power to help me deal with a warrant in New York . After 6 days I decided to go with Spodek Law Group. It helped that This law firm is well respected by not only the top law firms in New York , but the DA , Judge as well. I...

~Fonder Brandon

5 Stars
It was my good fortune to retain Spodek Law Group for representation for my legal needs. From the beginning, communication was prompt and thorough. Todd, Kenneth and Alex were the first people I worked with and they all made me, and my company Qumana skincare feel comfortable and confident that the team was going to work hard for me. Everything...

~A G

5 Stars
After meeting with several law firms, I chose the Spodek Law Group not only for their professionalism and experience, but for the personal attention given to me right from the initial consultation. It is important to recognize how crucial having the right legal team is when faced with potentially life altering events that impact families and the lives of loved...

~George Cherubini

Spodek Law Group

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