Federal Weapons Trafficking Defense

Federal firearms trafficking charges are prosecuted with the full weight of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These are not state gun charges. Federal weapons trafficking investigations are typically long-running operations involving undercover agents, confidential informants, wiretaps, surveillance, and controlled purchases — often built over months or years before a single arrest is made. By the time federal agents knock on your door, they have already assembled a substantial case. Early retention of experienced federal criminal defense counsel is not optional — it is critical.

What the Government Has to Prove

Federal weapons trafficking charges are most commonly brought under 18 U.S.C. §922 and §924, which govern the unlawful dealing, transfer, and trafficking of firearms across state lines and without a federal firearms license. Prosecutors must establish that the defendant was engaged in the business of dealing firearms — not merely selling a personal weapon. The distinction between a lawful private sale and unlawful dealing is one of the most aggressively litigated issues in federal firearms cases, and it is where experienced defense counsel can make the greatest impact. Additional charges frequently stacked onto a weapons trafficking indictment include conspiracy, money laundering, and drug trafficking — each carrying its own mandatory sentencing exposure.

The Sentencing Reality

Federal firearms convictions carry severe mandatory minimum sentences that are non-negotiable and run consecutively to any other counts. A conviction under 18 U.S.C. §924(c) for using or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence adds a mandatory five years — on top of the underlying sentence — for a first offense, and twenty-five years for each subsequent count. Federal judges have limited discretion to depart downward from these minimums. Understanding the full sentencing exposure from the moment of indictment is essential to building a rational, informed defense strategy.

What an Experienced Federal Defense Attorney Can Do

Daniel J. Conidi spent twenty-six years as a Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice conducting the exact type of investigations that lead to federal weapons trafficking indictments. He knows how undercover operations are structured, how confidential informants are developed and managed, how wiretap authorizations are obtained, and where federal agents and prosecutors make mistakes. That insider knowledge translates directly into an aggressive, methodical defense — challenging the government’s evidence, attacking the credibility of informants, contesting the legality of searches and seizures, and protecting your constitutional rights at every stage of the proceeding. Contact Alliant Law Group to schedule a confidential consultation at (708) 366-9900.