Principal Office
15110 Dallas Pkwy #400
Dallas, TX 75248
(972) 233-5700
15110 Dallas Pkwy #400
Dallas, TX 75248
(972) 233-5700
Years Defending Texans
Cases Dismissed
Criminal Cases Handled
Counties Served Across Texas
Available | Serving All of Texas
Learning that you are the subject of a federal investigation or receiving a target letter can leave you with more questions than answers. Your freedom, career, finances, and reputation may all feel uncertain, but the actions you take in the first hours and days matter.
Federal prosecution in Dallas moves on a different timeline and with different resources than any Texas state case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas builds federal cases for months or years before a defendant receives formal notice.
By the time a target letter arrives at your door or federal agents appear with a search warrant, the investigation is not starting. It is finishing. Dallas federal criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy defend clients at every stage of that process.
Richard McConathy has appeared in federal court on criminal matters for over 35 years, handling cases involving federal drug charges, wire fraud, firearms offenses, and white-collar crimes across Dallas.
The firm is available 24/7. Call 972-233-5700 now or contact us online to speak directly with Richard McConathy about your federal case.
McConathy Law defends federal criminal cases in the Northern District of Texas with 35+ years of courtroom experience, direct attorney access, and documented results across more than 6,000 criminal cases and over 1,000 dismissals.
Richard McConathy handles every federal case personally, from reviewing grand jury materials to appearing at the Earle Cabell Federal Building on Commerce Street in downtown Dallas.
Federal arrests, search warrant executions, and target letter deliveries do not follow business hours.
Richard McConathy is available around the clock to review your situation, advise on immediate next steps, and, when needed, contact the assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) on your behalf before your case position hardens.
Every client works directly with Richard McConathy. There are no associates who manage federal cases between hearing dates and no paralegals who relay information. The attorney who signs your entry of appearance is the attorney who appears in federal court.
Call 972-233-5700 or reach us online. We are available 24/7.
A federal criminal case in Texas is fundamentally different from a state case in four concrete ways: the investigating agencies, the charging authority, the sentencing framework, and the conviction rate.
Federal prosecutors at the Northern District of Texas work alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division (IRS-CI), and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit.
Federal sentencing follows the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG), a structured framework that calculates a recommended sentence range based on the offense level, the defendant’s criminal history, and specific offense characteristics.
A federal judge is not required to follow the guidelines, but departures require documented justification. The guidelines create a predictable but rigid sentencing structure that state courts do not use.
Federal cases in the Northern District of Texas go to trial less often than state cases because federal prosecutors screen charges before filing.
When federal cases proceed, conviction rates run significantly higher than in state court. That reality makes pre-indictment defense and pre-trial motion practice the most productive phase of any federal criminal defense, not trial preparation alone.
McConathy Law defends the full range of federal criminal charges filed in the Northern District of Texas, from federal drug conspiracy cases to white-collar fraud, firearms offenses, and federal sex crimes.
Federal charges carry mandatory minimum sentences in many categories, and the applicable sentencing range depends on factors that an attorney must identify and challenge early in the case.
Federal charges defended in the Northern District of Texas include:
A federal indictment in the Northern District of Texas begins a formal criminal case that moves through arraignment, pre-trial motions, discovery, and trial or plea in the Dallas Division courthouse.
After indictment, the defendant’s first court appearance is before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance and detention hearing, where the government argues for or against pre-trial release.
The federal detention hearing is one of the most consequential early proceedings in any federal case. A defendant detained before trial faces a significantly harder path to case preparation, client-attorney communication, and family stability than one released on conditions.
Richard McConathy prepares for detention hearings with the same focus as trial preparation because the outcome shapes everything that follows.
Federal discovery in the Northern District of Texas is governed by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Brady v. Maryland obligations requiring disclosure of exculpatory evidence, and the Jencks Act, which requires disclosure of prior statements by government witnesses.
Federal discovery productions in complex cases involve thousands of pages of financial records, recorded communications, and surveillance materials.
The defense team reviews those materials to identify inconsistencies, suppression grounds, and exculpatory evidence before any trial date is set.
The United States Sentencing Guidelines calculate a recommended sentence range using two variables: the base offense level for the charged conduct and the defendant’s criminal history category.
The guidelines then allow for upward or downward adjustments based on specific offense characteristics, the defendant’s role, and acceptance of responsibility.
A defense attorney who identifies meritorious grounds for a downward departure or variance under 18 U.S.C. Section 3553(a) presents those arguments at sentencing even when the guidelines calculation runs high.
A target letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas tells you that a federal grand jury is investigating you and that prosecutors believe sufficient evidence exists to seek an indictment.
Receiving a target letter does not mean charges have been filed. It means the investigation is in its final stage.
The pre-indictment window is where federal defense has the most flexibility. Before an indictment is filed and becomes a public record, an attorney may contact the assigned AUSA, review available disclosure, present mitigating information, and evaluate whether a pre-indictment resolution is available.
After indictment, those options narrow considerably, and the public record is established.
Yes. You retain an attorney before meeting with FBI agents or any federal law enforcement investigators. Agents who request an interview have already spoken with other witnesses and have a detailed picture of what they are investigating.
Anything you say in that interview, including corrections to a summary agents write afterward, becomes evidence in the case.
A target letter tells you that you are the subject of a federal grand jury investigation and that prosecutors view you as a likely defendant.
A federal subpoena requires you to produce documents, testify before the grand jury, or both, and it does not necessarily mean you are a target.
Both require immediate attorney involvement because your response to either one creates a documented record that affects your position in the investigation.
Yes. Federal cases in the Northern District of Texas get dismissed before trial through successful suppression motions that remove key evidence and dismissals when the prosecution determines its evidence does not meet the burden of proof.
The Northern District of Texas is one of four federal judicial districts in Texas, covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Panhandle, and West Texas. The Dallas Division of the Northern District handles cases filed in Dallas County and surrounding counties.
It operates independently from the Southern District of Texas in Houston, the Western District in San Antonio and Austin, and the Eastern District in Tyler and Sherman.
Each district has its own judges, prosecutors, and procedural practices. An attorney with Northern District of Texas experience understands the specific practices of that court.
Yes, a federal conviction in Texas creates a permanent federal criminal record. Federal law does not provide a general expungement mechanism for adult federal convictions.
The President of the United States holds pardon authority for federal offenses, but pardons are rare and do not erase the underlying conviction record.
At a federal detention hearing in Dallas, a U.S. magistrate judge determines whether the defendant poses a flight risk or a danger to the community that no combination of conditions can address.
The government presents evidence supporting detention. Defense counsel presents evidence supporting release, including ties to the community, employment history, family circumstances, and proposed release conditions.
The outcome determines whether the defendant remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Seagoville, Texas, or is released pending trial.
No. Federal mandatory minimum sentences apply to specific offense categories, primarily drug trafficking offenses under 21 U.S.C. Section 841, certain firearms offenses, and sex offenses involving minors.
Many federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, carry statutory maximum sentences without mandatory minimums.
The applicable sentencing range for non-mandatory-minimum offenses is determined by the United States Sentencing Guidelines calculation, which the judge has discretion to follow or depart from based on 18 U.S.C. Section 3553(a) factors.
Yes. A defendant charged in the Northern District of Texas appears in that court regardless of where the underlying conduct occurred across the country. Richard McConathy handles Northern District of Texas cases regardless of the geographic scope of the alleged conduct and coordinates with counsel in other districts when co-defendants are charged separately.
Richard McConathy has appeared in the Northern District of Texas federal court for over 35 years on criminal defense matters.
He holds federal court admission, handles every case personally, and is available around the clock because federal criminal events do not follow a business schedule. Over 1,000 of his 6,000+ handled cases have ended in dismissal.
Call 972-233-5700 now. Richard McConathy is available 24/7 to review your target letter, your indictment, or your account of the federal investigation you are facing. The conversation is confidential.
Whether you're facing a felony charge or fighting a traffic ticket, every case deserves serious attention. Get an experienced defense team in your corner now.
