award winning
NYC Federal Criminal
Defense Lawyer
No case is black & white
The Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer NYC Trusts
An experienced, trusted, and respected leader in New York City criminal defense.
When faced with a federal or state criminal investigation or arrest, finding the right NYC criminal defense lawyer can make all the difference in the world. After all, there are a lot of lawyers here in the “Big Apple.” The right defense lawyer should possess the extensive experience and intellect you are looking for, be trusted by his clients when their fate is in his hands, have a track record of success, a fighter’s tenacity and fearlessness and, one hopes, be a demonstrated leader of those in the field.
New York City criminal defense lawyer Frederick (“Fred”) L. Sosinsky has been at the top of his profession for more than 30 years, successfully representing individual and corporate clients under New York state and federal criminal or regulatory investigation and in the state and federal courts in literally thousands of cases involving all manner of allegations. From insider trading and IRS criminal investigations, international narcotics conspiracies, complex financial frauds, terrorism accusations to murder, sexual assault, domestic violence and theft charges, there is likely no matter which has escaped Fred’s docket.
NYC Criminal Defense
Criminal charges, whether misdemeanor or felony, carry a heavyweight that can stick with you for the rest of your life. If you’re facing criminal charges, you’re most likely scared or confused, and for good reason. The majority of criminal charges will remain on your record for many years, or permanently. No matter the charge, it’s imperative to speak with a highly experienced NYC criminal defense lawyer who will fight on your behalf.
Federal Defense
If you are a target of a federal criminal investigation or have been charged with a federal crime, you should be aware that the federal investigatory process and the prospects of facing federal charges can be terrifying. As a result, it is very important that you work with an experienced NYC federal criminal defense lawyer who can walk you through every step of the process, advise you of your rights, advocate on your behalf and vigorously defend your rights.
Representation During A Federal or State Investigation
As thrilling as winning a case at trial may be, there is tremendous emotional, financial and other costs involved in fighting a case “all the way.” While Fred is a fierce trial lawyer and truly enjoys the heated battles that he has waged in courtrooms on his clients’ behalf, there are many other victories, far more quiet and discreet, that are equally rewarding for many of Fred’s clients. Those are the cases where Fred has been able to avoid the client being charged with a crime to begin with.
New York City federal criminal defense attorney Fred Sosinsky has represented scores of individuals over the years who knew enough to hire a talented advocate for themselves once they had been approached by federal or state investigators. While it is highly unlikely that Fred would permit a client to speak with authorities, by retaining Fred so early in the game, the opportunity often exists, once enough information and documentation is gathered, to advocate with prosecutors to avoid the filing of charges. Sometimes this may be accomplished without the client ever again meeting or speaking with investigators. When you retain Fred Sosinsky during an investigation, there is a real good chance for a real good ending.
When you retain Fred to be your counsel, he will work day and night to ensure that together, you and he are well prepared to head-off any coming legal storm. Through tireless investigation of the facts, critical evaluation of the Government and defense evidence and detailed knowledge of the law, Fred helps clients to navigate through the toughest times in their lives. And to make smart and well-informed decisions about a case’s trajectory. After all, like we said, no case is really black and white.
A Lawyer Focused Not Only on the Criminal Charges But on The Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction
Separate and apart from the sentence imposed by a court upon a criminal conviction, there are any number of other consequences or non-criminal sanctions that may result from such a conviction. This is true regardless of whether a sentence includes any incarceration. And these consequences of a conviction won’t just go away when the criminal sentence is satisfied. They may turn out to be more impactful even than the sentence imposed. These so-called “collateral consequences” may include the impact such a conviction has on one’s job or career, status with U.S. immigration, professional license issued by the state or federal regulator, military status, continued receipt of public assistance benefits of one form or the other, driving and other such privileges. That’s why NYC federal criminal defense lawyer Fred Sosinsky is ever mindful of these potential “collateral consequences” of a criminal record when plotting a strategy for a client’s case. Because without careful consideration, what may appear to be a fantastic result may instead lead to unforeseen ramifications. Fred has regularly been able to persuade prosecutors to offer dispositions to his clients which avoid mandatory disqualifications or minimize other impediments that certain criminal convictions may lead to. In addition, he has also been able to negotiate deferred adjudications which often prevents these collateral consequences.
Fred Provides Superior Federal Sentencing Advocacy
Statistically speaking, in federal district courts, more than 90% of those charged with crimes will have their cases resolved by a plea of guilty to some federal offense or another. Only about 2% of charged federal defendants proceed to trial. To those uninitiated to federal criminal practice, and this likely means you, those are incredibly stunning — and intimidating — numbers. But there are reasons why the conviction rate in federal court is so high, as compared to state court, starting with the rate of conviction after trial for those brave enough to venture there: upwards of 95% are convicted by federal juries. In addition, because many federal offenses carry with them harsh mandatory minimum sentences, this too raises the trial stakes considerably. Non-binding federal sentencing guidelines that judges must consider in deciding upon punishment in all criminal cases are almost always punitive in nature. Add to this the fact that most federal prosecutions are initiated only after extended investigations by well-resourced federal agencies utilizing law enforcement tools such as undercover agents, informants, wiretaps, surveillance, search warrants, gathering of electronic and other evidence, tax records, and more, and it is not difficult to see that beating a federal criminal case is a daunting challenge. It can certainly be done — and Fred Sosinsky has done it — but the odds of prevailing at any given trial are clearly not in your favor. And, while it may be difficult to believe, in our federal courts, even if one is found not guilty of serious crimes, so long as they are convicted of a single crime at trial, a federal judge can, and often will increase the punishment the defendant faces based on a consideration of this acquitted conduct! Thus, as it has been said, the federal sentencing proceeding has for all intents and purposes become the new American trial. What is meant by this is that most of the critical work that determines whether or not a client is able to avoid federal prison or is able to serve a shorter sentence is done just prior to and at the actual sentencing. The sentencing proceeding is where the fate of a criminal defendant is almost always decided. Accordingly, the ability to effectively, persuasively advocate for a client at his or her sentencing is the single most important skill any NYC federal criminal defense lawyer must possess. As demonstrated by the results he has achieved for his clients over the years, Fred Sosinsky is exceptionally qualified to be your advocate at federal sentencing. He knows what to do and how to do it.
In federal court, when one pleads guilty to a crime, you will NOT know at that time what sentence the judge taking the plea will impose upon you. That’s right — and unsettling. In contrast to state court practice where almost always when pleading guilty the accused is promised a specific sentence at the time of the plea, in federal court, there are no promises made by the judge as to the sentence — other than that the court will sentence you somewhere between the statutory minimum and maximum sentences provided for that offense and otherwise in accordance with federal sentencing law. Thus, if the crime to which a person pleads guilty carries with it no mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, all the accused can count on is that his sentence will be somewhere between no days in jail and ten years in prison. If the offense has a mandatory minimum of five years and a max of twenty years, all that you will be promised is a sentence within that range of possibilities. Now the judge will also be required to conduct its own calculation of the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines applicable to the case. The Guidelines are a terribly complicated labyrinth of provisions that generally consider various offense factors, both aggravating and mitigating, as well as the offender’s criminal history, if any, and come up with a range of months of incarceration that is suggested. The judge must consider that advisory Guideline range, together with all of the other information and submissions provided to him/her by the probation department (which prepares a sentencing report for the Court), the prosecutor, and defense counsel, in deciding what an appropriate sentence is. That leaves quite a lot of room for persuasion. That’s where that skilled advocacy by NYC criminal defense lawyer Fred Sosinsky comes into play.
Experienced Representation of Licensed Professionals
Fred Sosinsky for years has also represented professionals who come under investigation by New York State or federal regulatory licensing authorities for alleged violations of their professional obligations. This includes financial and investment advisors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, engineers, architects, physicians, psychologists, nurses and other health care providers who are accused of misconduct, whether intentional or not. The investigations may be ones in which the professional has had criminal charges brought against them or they may be based on non-criminal conduct. In either case, Fred Sosinsky’s experience and litigation talent has led to favorable outcomes for these licensed professionals.
