Lowther | Walker brings extensive federal criminal defense experience to clients across the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas. Our federal attorneys background defending healthcare fraud, financial crimes, drug conspiracy defense, and white collar investigations prosecuted in federal courthouses throughout Texas.
From Dallas business districts to Houston medical centers, from Austin tech companies to border communities in the Rio Grande Valley, our Texas federal criminal defense lawyers have successfully defended professionals and business owners facing serious federal charges.
Texas’s size, population, and proximity to the Mexican border make it a focal point for federal law enforcement activity. The state’s four federal judicial districts, Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western, handle thousands of federal prosecutions annually. U
Federal prosecutors in Texas have substantial resources and aggressive enforcement policies. By the time FBI or DEA agents contact you, they may have spent months building their case through wiretaps, financial analysis, and cooperating witness testimony. What you say during those initial encounters can determine whether you face federal charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences.
Protect your business and your freedom. Request your confidential consultation with Texas federal criminal defense attorneys at Lowther | Walker.
No-obligation. Fully confidential.
Call Us Today: (404) 496-4052
Federal prosecutions in Texas proceed through four separate U.S. District Courts, each covering distinct geographic regions with different prosecution priorities and local procedures. The Northern District (Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo), Southern District (Houston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Laredo, McAllen), Eastern District (Tyler, Beaumont, Sherman, Texarkana), and Western District (San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Midland) all apply federal criminal procedure rules, but local customs and judicial preferences vary significantly.
Federal investigations in Texas typically begin long before defendants know they’re targets. The FBI operates major field offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso, with resident agencies throughout the state. These offices coordinate with:
Texas investigations often involve wiretaps of suspected criminal organizations, analysis of banking records from Texas financial institutions, controlled buys of narcotics, undercover operations, and interviews with cooperating witnesses. Grand juries meet regularly in federal courthouses across Texas, returning indictments based on prosecutors’ one-sided presentations of evidence.
Following arrest or indictment, defendants appear before U.S. Magistrate Judges for arraignment. Texas’s geographic size creates unique detention issues. Federal prosecutors routinely argue that defendants in border regions present flight risk to Mexico, while defendants in North Texas cities allegedly can quickly drive to Oklahoma, Arkansas, or Louisiana.
Pretrial detention rates vary across Texas’s districts, with Southern District judges near the border often imposing stricter conditions than Northern District judges in Dallas. Detention hearings address:
Your attorney’s presentation at this hearing determines whether you defend your case from home or from a federal detention facility potentially hundreds of miles from your family.
Federal discovery rules govern what prosecutors must disclose, but the volume and complexity of evidence in Texas federal cases often exceeds other jurisdictions. Discovery in healthcare fraud cases may include millions of pages of medical records and billing data. Drug conspiracy cases involve months of wiretap recordings. Financial crime prosecutions require analysis of complex corporate structures and international transactions.
Your defense team must review:
Texas federal cases frequently involve cooperating witnesses who previously faced their own federal charges. Your attorney must obtain cooperation agreements, prior statements, and criminal history information for every government witness to effectively challenge their credibility.
U.S. Attorney’s Offices across Texas handle enormous caseloads, creating both challenges and opportunities in plea negotiations. Some districts have formalized plea policies, while others allow individual prosecutors more discretion. Negotiations may result in:
Texas’s tough-on-crime reputation influences federal prosecution policies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Texas often take hardline positions, particularly in drug trafficking and violent crime cases. Your attorney’s experience negotiating with specific prosecutors and judges throughout Texas’s districts directly impacts achievable outcomes.
Pretrial motion practice in Texas federal courts can eliminate damaging evidence or dismiss charges entirely. Common motions include:
Federal judges in Texas conduct thorough evidentiary hearings on suppression motions, allowing defense attorneys to cross-examine FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, and state police officers about their investigative tactics.
Federal trials in Texas follow standard criminal procedure but with variations based on local rules and judicial preferences. Jury pools are drawn from the counties within each division—meaning Dallas juries differ substantially from juries in Amarillo, and Houston juries differ from those in McAllen.
Trial procedure includes:
Trials in complex conspiracy cases common throughout Texas can last weeks, with voluminous documentary evidence and numerous cooperating witnesses testifying about alleged criminal conduct.
Federal sentencing in Texas applies U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, though judges have discretion to vary from guideline ranges after considering statutory factors. Texas federal judges impose sentences that often exceed those in other circuits, particularly in drug and firearm cases.
Sentencing considerations include:
Post-sentencing, defendants typically serve time in federal facilities designated by Bureau of Prisons, often at locations far from Texas families.
Following conviction or sentencing, you can appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. The Fifth Circuit reviews federal cases from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, applying legal standards that tend to favor prosecution positions on many issues.
Appeals challenge legal errors including evidentiary rulings, jury instruction problems, sufficiency of evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, and sentencing miscalculations. A three-judge panel reviews briefs and trial records to determine whether reversal, remand, or affirmance is warranted.
Texas’s massive healthcare industry, including Texas Medical Center in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth medical districts, and healthcare providers throughout the state, faces intense federal scrutiny. Lowther | Walker represents physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, pharmacists, and healthcare administrators accused of billing fraud, kickback violations, and controlled substance diversion. We’ve successfully defended our client in the highest-value healthcare fraud case the DOJ has ever prosecuted and bring that sophisticated advocacy to every Texas healthcare provider facing federal investigation.
Our defense strategies challenge statistical extrapolation methods, contest the government’s interpretation of complex billing regulations, and emphasize legitimate medical decision-making that prosecutors mischaracterize as fraud.
Federal prosecutors throughout Texas aggressively pursue money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion cases against business owners and financial professionals.
Texas’s banking industry, oil and gas sector, real estate market, and border trade all attract federal investigative attention. Lowther | Walker defends clients facing allegations of financial crimes that threaten their businesses, professional licenses, and freedom. We understand how legitimate business transactions. particularly those involving international trade, cash-intensive businesses, or complex corporate structures, can attract federal scrutiny without any criminal intent. Our defense strategies challenge the government’s interpretation of ambiguous evidence, present legitimate business explanations for questioned conduct, and protect clients from aggressive enforcement tactics designed to pressure quick guilty pleas.
Texas’s position along major drug trafficking routes, particularly I-35 connecting Laredo to Dallas and beyond, I-10 through Houston, and highways throughout the Rio Grande Valley, makes it a primary focus for DEA enforcement.
Federal drug prosecutions in Texas often involve multi-kilogram quantities, wiretap evidence, and conspiracy charges carrying decade-long mandatory minimums. Lowther | Walker provides immediate representation for individuals charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute, and continuing criminal enterprise offenses.
We challenge drug quantity calculations, contest the reliability of cooperating witnesses, argue for safety valve relief, and negotiate downward departures based on limited roles in alleged trafficking organizations.
Lowther | Walker represents business owners, executives, and professionals under investigation for alleged securities fraud, public corruption, program fraud, and embezzlement. We recognize that most white collar cases arise from complex business decisions made under intense pressure, not criminal schemes.
Federal prosecutors in Texas often overreach by characterizing legitimate business practices as fraud. Our defense approach emphasizes lack of criminal intent, presents the full business context of questioned transactions, and holds the government to its burden of proving fraud beyond reasonable doubt
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Murdoch Walker’s experience leading DEA task force investigations provides crucial understanding of how federal drug cases develop, how agents structure conspiracy investigations, and where vulnerabilities exist in the government’s case.
This prosecutorial perspective allows us to anticipate strategies that federal prosecutors throughout Texas will employ and position your defense effectively.
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We’ve achieved successful outcomes in some of the nation’s most challenging federal prosecutions, including the highest-value healthcare fraud case in DOJ history. We bring this same level of sophisticated legal analysis and aggressive advocacy to every Texas client facing serious federal charges.
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Texas’s four federal districts each have distinct prosecution priorities, local procedures, and judicial approaches. Our experience handling cases throughout Texas’s federal courts in the Northern District, Western, Eastern, and Southern District means we understand these variations and how they affect defense strategies. Whether your case is in Galveston, Houston, Tyler, or McAllen, we’re prepared to defend you effectively.
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Federal investigations move quickly once agents execute search warrants or make arrests.
We’re available 24/7 to respond immediately when you need urgent legal guidance. Our free consultations provide immediate case analysis and strategy development from experienced federal defense attorneys.
From the Panhandle to the Valley, from East Texas to El Paso, Lowther | Walker provides sophisticated federal criminal defense throughout Texas. When federal agents are investigating your business, questioning your employees, or preparing charges against you, call our Texas federal criminal defense attorneys at (877) 208-7146 for immediate assistance.
No-obligation. Fully confidential.
Call Us Today: (404) 496-4052
State charges are prosecuted by Texas county district attorneys or the Texas Attorney General for violations of Texas Penal Code and other state laws. Federal charges involve violations of United States Code and are prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Texas’s four federal districts. Federal cases apply different procedural rules, federal sentencing guidelines, and typically result in harsher sentences than comparable state offenses.
If federal agents (FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, etc.) contact you for an interview, exercise your right to remain silent politely but firmly. You should:
Never assume talking will “clear things up” – Federal agents are highly trained investigators, and statements you make can be used against you even if you believe you’re innocent. Having an attorney present protects your rights while still allowing cooperation if appropriate.
Substantial assistance means providing useful cooperation that helps the government investigate or prosecute others. Only the government can file a substantial assistance motion (under U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 or Rule 35). Reductions vary widely – from a few months to 50%+ reductions or more, depending on the significance, truthfulness, and timeliness of cooperation. In exceptional cases, cooperation can result in sentences below mandatory minimums or even time served.
The federal conviction rate at trial exceeds 80-85%. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to trial in appropriate cases, but reflects that federal prosecutors typically only charge cases with strong evidence. Factors favoring trial include constitutional violations, weak evidence, overcharging, or when the plea offer provides little benefit over trial exposure.
Approximately 90% of federal cases are resolved through plea agreements. Federal trials are risky because of high conviction rates, harsh sentencing guidelines, and trial penalties (prosecutors often offer better deals for pleading guilty). However, some cases should go to trial, particularly when the government’s evidence is weak or constitutional violations occurred.
Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371 or specific conspiracy statutes) requires an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime and an overt act in furtherance. You can be convicted of conspiracy even if the underlying crime was never completed. Critically, you’re responsible for all reasonably foreseeable acts of co-conspirators, meaning you could face sentencing for drugs or conduct you didn’t personally handle.
Federal pretrial release is much more difficult than in state court. The Bail Reform Act requires detention for certain offenses (serious drug crimes, crimes of violence, cases with risk of flight). Unlike Texas state court’s bail bond system, federal release typically involves pretrial services supervision, not commercial bonds. Many federal defendants remain detained throughout their case.
Federal investigations can last from months to several years. White-collar and conspiracy cases often take 2-4 years, while drug cases may be resolved in 6-18 months. You may be under investigation without knowing it. Once charged, the Speedy Trial Act generally requires trial within 70 days, though extensions are common.
Cooperation is the single most significant factor for sentence reduction. Providing information about co-conspirators through debriefing, testimony, or undercover work can reduce sentences 30-50%+ or below mandatory minimums via substantial assistance motions. Early cooperation receives better deals. Texas’s border cases create extensive cooperation opportunities. Speak with a federal attorney before considering cooperating with law enforcement.
Major agencies include DEA (drugs), FBI (white-collar crime, terrorism), ICE/CBP (immigration, human trafficking), ATF (firearms), IRS-CI (tax/money laundering), and Secret Service (financial crimes). Multi-agency task forces are common. Texas has extensive federal presence due to its size and border location, with offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso.
