Illinois Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers
Federal defense law firm representing clients in all of Illinois
Our firm provides experienced and aggressive legal representation for individual and corporate clients in Illinois. Our Illinois Federal Criminal Defense Team includes several former senior federal prosecutors, and we have significant experience and presence in complex and high-stakes federal matters.
What do you need to know if you are under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), or another federal law enforcement agency? What do you need to know if you have been arrested for healthcare fraud, drug distribution, or another serious federal offense? In these circumstances, you cannot afford to make mistakes and you need to make smart decisions with your immediate needs and long-term best interests in mind.
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At Oberheiden, P.C., we have the experience you need to protect yourself and your business or practice in federal law enforcement matters. We also have significant experience assisting healthcare providers with proactive compliance, and we maintain a robust civil litigation practice focused on protecting clients’ financial interests in business-related disputes. We maintain a nationwide reach practice and are available to represent clients in criminal, civil, and compliance matters in Illinois. If necessary, we can take action immediately to help protect you against unnecessary consequences.
Our Illinois Federal Criminal Defense team is led by Dr. Nick Oberheiden, a significantly seasoned defense attorney. With several other former state and federal prosecutors on staff, we are intimately familiar with the government’s strategies in criminal investigations and prosecutions. We have a proven record of success at all stages of the litigation process. In federal healthcare matters, we have resolved the majority of our clients’ cases without civil or criminal charges.
“Our experience with Nick Oberheiden was overwhelmingly positive! We recently brought a range of complex legal issues to the table, which they responded to with a systematic, prudent approach. Throughout our work together, Oberheiden, P.C. served as an invaluable source of practical guidance and legal leadership. We would recommend them highly and without reservation to anyone. Simply, the best!” – Firm Client
Put our highly experienced team on your side
Dr. Nick Oberheiden
Founder
Attorney-at-Law
Lynette S. Byrd
Former Department of Justice
Brian J. Kuester
Former U.S. Attorney
Former DA
John W. Sellers
Former Senior Trial Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice
Local Counsel
Joanne Fine DeLena
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney
Local Counsel
Joe Brown
Former U.S. Attorney & Former District Attorney
Local Trial & Defense Counsel
Amanda Marshall
Former U.S. Attorney
Local Counsel
Aaron L. Wiley
Former Federal Prosecutor
Local Counsel
Roger Bach
Former Special Agent (OIG)
Michael Koslow
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Chris Quick
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Ray Yuen
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Our Practice Areas
Healthcare Compliance
Healthcare providers in Illinois face a uniquely complex federal legal landscape. Ensuring compliance with all of the pertinent statutory and regulatory requirements requires constant effort. It is imperative for the provider to structure compensation arrangements to avoid “kickback” implications. The provider must also adhere to the voluminous Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare billing regulations that apply to all types of participating providers, hospitals, pharmacies, physician-owned practices, laboratories, MSOs, and others. All of this requires maintaining proactive compliance programs in order to avoid triggering federal scrutiny.
With our extensive experience in civil and criminal healthcare fraud enforcement matters, we offer comprehensive compliance counseling and program implementation for providers in Illinois and nationwide. We help our clients identify potential areas of exposure, remedy outstanding issues, and maintain ongoing compliance with respect to matters including:
- Business structuring
- Marketing agreements
- Employment contracts, manuals, and related policies
- Code of Business Conduct and related policies
- Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare compliance
- Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute compliance
- False Claims Act compliance
- Controlled Substances Act compliance
- Patient privacy rights (HIPAA and OSHA)
- Employee Compliance, HIPAA and OSHA training
Healthcare Fraud Defense
Our attorneys focus their practice in the area of federal healthcare fraud defense. We have decades of experience on both sides of healthcare fraud investigations and prosecutions involving the DEA, DOJ, FBI, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), Medicare Fraud Strike Force, and various other federal law enforcement agencies and task forces. Our clients range from physicians and hospital executives to compounding pharmacies and toxicology laboratories. We have helped providers in Illinois and across the nation avoid criminal charges in investigations involving allegations of:
- Billing and coding violations
- Kickbacks, bribes, rebates, and referral fees
- Physician “self-referrals”
- False and fraudulent claims
- Billing for medically unnecessary services, supplies, and equipment
- Billing for services, supplies, and equipment not provided
- Prescription drug fraud
- Falsifying patient records and inaccurately reporting test results
- Fraudulent physician certifications
- Issues with election statements for hospice care
Criminal Defense
In addition to representing clients in federal healthcare fraud matters, we have significant experience representing individuals and corporate entities in a broad range of other federal criminal cases as well. If you are facing the potential for substantial fines and long-term imprisonment, you need to execute a comprehensive defense strategy focused on attacking all aspects of the government’s case. From Constitutional violations to insufficient evidence to meet the prosecution’s burden of proof, we evaluate all potential defenses and develop comprehensive strategies focused on obtaining favorable pre-trial resolutions. And when necessary, we work tirelessly to prepare our clients’ cases for court. We represent clients in all federal criminal matters, including:
- Drug charges and conspiracy
- Fraud, money laundering, and counterfeiting
- Sex crimes
- Immigration crimes
- Computer crimes
Business Litigation
Our litigation team represents Illinois-based companies facing disputes in all types of dispute resolution proceedings. If a dispute involving a former employee, competitor, or other third party is interfering with your business, we can help you resolve the dispute as quickly and favorably as possible. While we have extensive experience in courtroom litigation, we are also experienced negotiators. We are frequently able to negotiate favorable outcomes without the need to go to court. In our business litigation practice, we routinely handle matters such as:
- Theft, fraud, and forgery
- Contract and duty breaches
- Misappropriation of funds
- Tortious interference
- Non-compete violations
- Partnership disputes
- Lack of written agreement
- Intellectual property issues
- Divorce impacts on business
- Employment conflicts
- Computer hacking
FAQs: Defending against Federal Charges in Illinois
Q: How do I know if my investigation is civil or criminal in nature?
If you or anyone else within your business or practice have been contacted by a federal agent, you must quickly determine whether the government’s inquiry is civil or criminal in nature. With our experience on both sides of federal healthcare fraud investigations, we can quickly determine the nature of your healthcare fraud investigation based on the authority (or authorities) involved and the language and methods used during the investigative process. Civil investigations can turn criminal if federal agents find what they believe to be evidence of intentional fraud. In any case, the best way to protect yourself is to seek legal representation immediately.
Q: What should I do if the FBI shows up at my house?
What you should do if the FBI shows up at your house depends on the reason for their visit. You do not need to talk to them if they are casually stopping by to ask you questions about an investigation. As a matter of fact, it’s in your best interest not to since anything you tell FBI agents can be used against you, even if they tell you they are not investigating you for a crime. If FBI agents come by with a warrant, on the other hand, they have a right to enter your home or business to conduct a search. If they find any evidence they believe is relevant evidence to their investigation, they will seize it. Although not every search is valid, there is little you can do in the moment to prevent even an illegal search. Instead, contact a highly experienced Illinois federal criminal defense attorney to discuss your options and how best to proceed.
Q: What else should I do to protect myself during a federal investigation?
During your free initial case assessment, our Illinois federal criminal defense attorneys will walk you through everything you need to do in order to protect yourself during the government’s investigation. While each case is unique, here are some of the basic steps that targets of federal investigations can take to protect themselves.
- Avoid sharing any information with federal agents unless advised to do so by your legal counsel.
- Instruct your employees not to communicate directly with federal agents.
- Ensure that no relevant files (hardcopy or electronic) get destroyed or deleted.
- Proactively address any issues that may have the potential to trigger federal charges.
- Do your best to ensure that your patients (or your customers’ patients) are not adversely affected by the government’s investigation.
Q: What is a grand jury?
Federal prosecutors cannot bring felony charges against you until they convene a grand jury and the grand jury returns a true bill, meaning it found there was probable cause to believe you committed the alleged offenses. A grand jury is a group of 16 to 23 regular citizens who hear a federal prosecutor’s case. One notable aspect of a grand jury proceeding is that it is secretive. This is to eliminate any possibility that the subject of the investigation destroys or hides evidence. If prosecutors are able to indict you, that means you are then formally charged with a crime. At this point, it is imperative that you reach out to an Illinois federal criminal defense attorney if you have not already done so.
Q: When should I seek legal counsel?
If you are facing a federal investigation or if you are concerned that your business or practice may be targeted in an investigation due to billing violations or other issues, you should seek legal counsel immediately. In many cases, taking proactive steps to resolve known issues will not only be the best way to avoid civil or criminal sanctions, but it could be essential to protecting your professional license, assignment privileges, and other critical aspects of your practice as well. When you contact Oberheiden, P.C., we will make arrangements for you to meet with our defense team immediately and we will help you make informed decisions about mitigating your risk of federal prosecution.
Q: What can an Illinois federal criminal defense attorney do to help me?
A respected Illinois federal criminal defense attorney can play an important role, regardless of where your case is in the process. If you are merely under investigation, your attorney can offer guidance in terms of how to interact with investigators in hopes of shifting the focus of the investigation away from you. Your attorney may also be able to communicate with federal prosecutors to avoid the filing of charges. If you’ve already been indicted, an Illinois federal criminal defense attorney is crucial in developing an effective strategy to defend against the case.
Why Choose Oberheiden, P.C. in Illinois?
1. Experience
Our attorneys have collectively represented clients in more than 2,000 investigations and many federal trials. We do not have any junior lawyers on staff.
2. National Recognition
We have a significant presence and experience in in federal criminal matters, and Dr. Nick Oberheiden has appeared on a significant number of media outlets nationwide.
3. Former Prosecutors
Our healthcare fraud defense team includes former DOJ trial lawyers, former prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, former Special Assistant United States Attorneys, and former state healthcare fraud prosecutors.
4. Results
Our Illinois federal criminal defense attorneys have a proven record of success, and we have helped a significant proportion of our healthcare fraud clients avoid any civil or criminal charges.
5. Free Case Assessment
Our Illinois federal criminal defense lawyers provide free case assessments to all potential clients. We will help you understand your situation, and we will provide you with an action plan for protecting your freedom and your legal rights.
Contact Our Illinois Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys at Oberheiden, P.C.
If you need to speak with an Illinois Federal Criminal Defense lawyer, we encourage you to contact us promptly to schedule your free initial case assessment. From Illinois, call us 24/7 at 888-680-1745 or send us your contact information and we will be in touch with you shortly.
Other state pages can be found here.
Additional Pages for Illinois
- Illinois federal appeals
- Illinois healthcare fraud defense
- Illinois Medicare fraud defense
- Bellevue healthcare fraud defense
- Champaign healthcare attorneys and litigators
- Chicago federal appeals
- Chicago federal criminal defense
- Chicago white collar defense
- Chicago healthcare fraud defense
- Chicago Medicare fraud defense
- Peoria federal criminal defense
This information has been prepared for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This information may constitute attorney advertising in some jurisdictions. Reading of this information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results cannot guarantee a similar future outcome in your case. Oberheiden, P.C. is a Texas PC with headquarters in Dallas. Mr. Oberheiden limits his practice to federal law.
