We have handled over 5000 cases in the last 12 years. Here are just a few examples of the results we’ve obtained…

Federal Offenses Case Results

Investigation Closed Without Penalty

Investigation by United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services (FNS)

 

  • Accusation: “EBT” trafficking, Section 271.2
  • Facing: $59,000 fine; permanent disqualification from “SNAP”
  • Result: Investigation closed without penalty
  • USDA v. W.T.: The USDA notified our client that her business had violated regulations of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (“SNAP”). The violation notice alleged that a large number of transactions appeared to be “unusual” or “irregular” for her business. Three categories of suspicious transactions were cited: 1. Excessively large purchase transactions, 2. Unusual number of transactions that ended in the same “cent” value, and 3. Multiple transactions from the same benefit account in unusually short time frames. In response to the violation notice, we provided photos, invoices, and receipts related to our client’s business inventory. We also provided affidavits from customers of the business, explaining the types of purchases that they commonly made. With this information, we were able to address each allegation made against our client’s business and persuade the officer to close his investigation against the business. The business was permitted to continue accepting EBT from customers.
  • Attorney: MJM

20 Years (Avoided Life)

  • Charges: Two Counts Transporting Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(1); Two Counts Production of Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. 2251(a); Two Counts Advertising for Child Production, 18 U.S.C. 2251(d); One Count of Possession of Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(5)(B)
  • Facing: Minimum 15 years and maximum 160 years (life) in prison (15-30 years per count of Production of Child Pornography; 20 years per count for Advertising, Transporting, and Possessing Child Pornography)
  • Result: 20 years
  • United States v. T.B.: Defendant was actively involved in secret online communities designed specifically for individuals who wanted to download and share child pornography. Upon execution of a search warrant, he was found to be in possession of over 2,000 videos and images of child pornography. He was also having video chat sessions with teenage minors and his chat sessions contained sexually explicit material. Defendant had requested the minors to engage in sexually explicit activities during their video chat sessions and had created “screen shots” of the minors performing the requested activities. The Assistant United States Attorney described Defendant’s collection of child pornography as some of the most violent and horrifying images ever seen by her office and she requested that the judge impose a 40 year sentence for our client. However, we were able to assist our client with obtaining a mental health assessment and treatment, which revealed mitigating information about our client’s past. At the sentencing hearing, we were able to demonstrate to the court that our client had suffered severe childhood trauma and had never received any type of counseling or therapy to cope with his trauma. Had he received such counseling, he may not have been involved in this conduct. We were also able to demonstrate to the court that our client had never had any physical contact with a minor, despite having engaged in sexual explicit conversations online. This distinguished him from the average defendant charged with producing child pornography. Our client received a 20 year sentence.
  • Attorneys:MJM

Federal Sentencing

  • Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone, 21 U.S.C. § 846; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone and Aiding and Abetting the Same, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and 18 U.S.C. § 2.
  • Facing: 20 years’ imprisonment on each count.
  • Result: 57 months.
  • United States v. D.G.: Our client hired the firm after already having entered a guilty plea in federal court. Due to these circumstances, our goal was receive the most favorable outcome possible for our client at sentencing. Initially, the Government argued that our client was responsible for 6,750 thirty milligram Oxycodone pills. Given this large amount of pills, the United States Sentencing Guidelines recommended a sentence of 87-108 months. After filing lengthy legal and factual objections to the 6,750 pill amount, the Government conceded that the amount of pills attributable to our client was only 3,350 thirty milligram Oxycodones. This concession reduced our client’s recommended sentence to 57-71 months. After filing a motion for a downward variance and downward departure, we persuaded the Court to impose a sentence at the bottom of the recommended range, 57 months, which was 30 to 51 months below our client’s initial sentence recommendation.
  • Attorney:MJM

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories — legal ability and general ethical standards.

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