Thanks to the way the United States government is set up, there are different classes of laws. The federal government sets many overarching rules, regulations, and statutes, while each state government handles certain issues on its own. Take a look ahead to find out what exactly constitutes a federal crime.

Federal Legislation

In order for an act to be considered a federal crime, it must violate federal legislation. This means that the federal government has passed a law that specifically prohibits the alleged action. Since the United States federal and state governments pass different laws, those who commit a federal crime will undergo prosecution at the federal level. Although federal legislation applies to citizens in any state in the country as well as Washington, D.C., most prosecutions in the United States tend to happen at the state level.

Types of Crimes and Federal Entities

Federal crimes tend to be actions of a certain nature that affect the government or the public, as well as those that occur across state lines. This can range from importation of narcotics, possession with intent to distribute narcotics or marijuana to kidnapping or tax evasion and bank robbery. The federal government has created a number of agencies that can investigate these types of offenses, like the FBI and the DEA.

Consequences

Federal laws deal with important issues that are not left up to the state governments to handle on their own. Thus, the punishments tend to be on the more severe side. In the case of a federal drug crime, you may be subjected to a mandatory minimum. This is a minimum sentence that applies to those who commit certain drug offenses.

If you are charged with a federal crime, please do not hesitate to call Steven D. West at (520) 623-4387. Mr. West is a skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer who can help you when you are charged with a serious offense like a federal crime. Please visit his website for more information about his areas of expertise.