Coral Gables Federal Criminal Defense Attorney
Residents and business owners in Coral Gables who learn they are being looked at by federal agents face a decision that cannot wait: whether to speak, whether to hire counsel, and how quickly. The Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. is a federal criminal defense firm serving Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, and the rest of South Florida, handling white collar fraud, money laundering, PPP and SBA loan fraud, healthcare fraud, bulk cash smuggling, and federal drug conspiracy cases. If you are searching for a Coral Gables federal criminal defense attorney, the first days of an investigation are usually when the most room to maneuver exists.
Coral Gables is a hub for professional practices, private banking, import and export businesses, real estate, and family offices, which is exactly the kind of economic activity federal investigators study. A federal case here rarely begins with a dramatic arrest. It tends to start with a grand jury subpoena to a bank, a target letter, a visit from an agent who “just has a few questions,” or a frozen account. By the time an indictment is returned in the Southern District of Florida, the government may have spent months reading your emails, tracing your wire transfers, and talking to people close to you.
That head start is why early representation matters so much. Before charges are filed, a defense lawyer may be able to present information to prosecutors, influence which charges are brought, arrange a voluntary surrender instead of an arrest at your home or office, and separate protected assets from anything the government claims is tainted.
Why Choose the Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. for a Federal Case Rooted in Coral Gables
The Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. is led by Nayib Hassan, Attorney and Founder, who represents business owners, executives, professionals, and individuals under federal investigation or indictment in Coral Gables, across Miami-Dade County, and in federal courts around the country. Mr. Hassan spent years as a Broward County Assistant State Attorney, where he handled thousands of cases and tried hundreds to verdict, and he has more than 20 years inside the criminal justice system. He knows how charging decisions are made and how prosecutors weigh the risk of a trial, and that knowledge shapes how he negotiates and prepares.
He is admitted to the federal courts in the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida, the federal court for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has defended clients in federal courts in Florida, the Southern District of New York, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, and California, and he handles matters involving Colombia, Mexico, the Bahamas, Ecuador, and Cuba. Those international ties matter in Coral Gables, where many clients have family, accounts, or business dealings abroad.
Recognition includes selection among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, a 10.0 Avvo rating, and service on the Miami board of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He teaches as an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University and has presented continuing legal education programs on federal court practice to other defense attorneys. His cases have drawn coverage from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, and the Miami Herald.
On the results side, Mr. Hassan has represented defendants in multi-defendant federal drug cases, including matters where charges were dismissed and a case where his client received one of the lowest sentences among all codefendants. The firm deliberately limits its caseload so the attorney handling your case is the attorney you talk to, and it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mr. Hassan is fluent in Spanish and speaks directly with clients and their families, with no interpreter between them and their lawyer. Consultations are confidential.
Federal Charges That Reach Coral Gables Clients
- Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Securities Fraud: Investment schemes, real estate deals, and business financing disputes become federal cases when money moved by wire or through a bank. These prosecutions usually turn on intent and on how the government calculates loss, and the loss figure drives the sentencing guideline range.
- Money Laundering (18 U.S.C. 1956 and 1957): Prosecutors attach these counts to fraud, drug, and international trade cases when funds pass through accounts, property purchases, or foreign transfers. Section 1956 carries up to 20 years and section 1957, for transactions over $10,000 in alleged criminal proceeds, up to 10 years, and both open the door to forfeiture.
- PPP, EIDL, and SBA Loan Fraud: Pandemic-era loans taken by Coral Gables small businesses and professional practices are still being prosecuted, with a 10-year limitations period. Charges can include wire fraud, bank fraud, false statements, and aggravated identity theft.
- Healthcare and Medicare Fraud: Physicians, pharmacy owners, clinic operators, home health agencies, laboratories, and billing staff in Miami-Dade face scrutiny over billing practices, referral arrangements, and kickbacks. The central defense question is often whether a billing error or regulatory dispute was wrongly recast as criminal conduct.
- Bulk Cash Smuggling and Currency Reporting: Travelers leaving through Miami International Airport or PortMiami with more than $10,000 must declare it. Concealing the money to avoid reporting can be charged under 31 U.S.C. 5332, with up to five years in prison and forfeiture of the funds.
- Federal Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy: South Florida cases often involve international shipments, maritime interdictions, wiretaps, and many codefendants, with mandatory minimums that can reach 10 years or more based on quantity alone.
- Tax Fraud, Identity Theft, and Obstruction: IRS Criminal Investigation, the Secret Service, and other agencies pursue these cases, and a poorly handled agent interview can add a false statements or obstruction count to an otherwise manageable situation.
- Asset Forfeiture: Money, real estate, vehicles, and business assets can be seized in the criminal case or a parallel civil proceeding, and fighting the forfeiture is part of defending the case.
What to Do When Federal Agents Come to Your Home, Office, or Inbox
If agents knock on your door in Coral Gables, be polite and say very little. You are not required to answer questions about an investigation, and anything you say can be used against you. An answer that is incomplete or inaccurate can become its own charge for making false statements, even when the underlying conduct was never criminal. Ask for the agent’s name and contact information, say you will have a lawyer call, and then call a federal criminal defense lawyer right away.
A search warrant calls for the same discipline. Do not obstruct agents, do not consent to searches beyond what the warrant authorizes, and do not discuss the case while they are there. Write down what was taken, especially phones, computers, and business records. If a bank account is frozen or you receive a grand jury subpoena, do not delete anything, do not move money, and do not talk to coworkers or family about what you think the government knows. Deleting files or coordinating stories can create obstruction exposure that is worse than the original problem.
A target letter is a notice from the United States Attorney’s Office that a grand jury is investigating you and that prosecutors believe they have substantial evidence connecting you to a crime. It is also one of the most useful moments to bring in counsel, because charges have not yet been returned and there may still be room to affect what is filed.
If charges are filed, federal cases in Miami are generally heard at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse or the other federal courthouses in downtown Miami, within the Southern District of Florida. Cases arising elsewhere in the district can be heard in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or Key West. Your lawyer can often arrange a voluntary surrender, which avoids an arrest in front of family, employees, or neighbors, and prepares you for the initial appearance and any detention hearing. From there the case moves through discovery, motions to suppress evidence and to dismiss charges, negotiation with the Assistant United States Attorney, and, if necessary, a jury trial. Sentencing follows any conviction or plea, and appeals go to the Eleventh Circuit.
How Federal Sentencing Works and Why Loss Amounts Matter
Federal sentences are built around the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and in fraud and money laundering cases the alleged loss amount often has the single largest effect on the recommended range. A few additional enhancements can push the number higher quickly. There is no parole in the federal system, so the sentence imposed is close to the time actually served.
That makes sentencing advocacy a defense in its own right. Challenging how loss is calculated, whether a leadership or sophisticated-means enhancement applies, and what drug quantity is attributable to a particular defendant can change the outcome dramatically, even when a conviction is not in doubt. Mr. Hassan’s prosecutorial background informs how he presents these arguments to judges and probation officers.
Forfeiture adds another layer. Because federal statutes allow the government to pursue money, property, and business assets connected to alleged offenses, a family can lose resources while the case is still pending. Identifying and protecting assets that have no connection to any alleged offense is something to start doing early.
Questions About Federal Defense for Coral Gables Clients
Do I have to talk to federal agents who contact me?
No. You may politely decline to answer questions and ask that any communication go through your lawyer. Statements made to agents can be used against you, and an inaccurate answer can lead to a separate false statements charge.
What is a target letter?
It is a notice from the United States Attorney’s Office that a grand jury is investigating you and that prosecutors believe they have substantial evidence tying you to a crime. Receiving one means charges may be coming, but it also means there may still be time to affect them.
Can I be prosecuted for PPP or EIDL fraud years after getting the loan?
Yes. Congress extended the limitations period for PPP and EIDL fraud to 10 years, so loans obtained in 2020 and 2021 remain open to prosecution for a long time. If your lender, the SBA, or agents have contacted you about a pandemic loan, get advice before responding.
Is it illegal to carry more than $10,000 in cash when I travel?
Carrying it is not illegal by itself. Amounts over $10,000 must be reported when entering or leaving the United States. Failing to report, and especially hiding the money to avoid reporting, can lead to seizure and bulk cash smuggling charges.
How are federal sentences decided?
Judges weigh the Sentencing Guidelines, the facts of the offense, and the defendant’s personal history. In fraud and money laundering cases, loss amount frequently drives the range, which is why a strong sentencing presentation can matter as much as the plea or verdict.
Do federal prisoners get paroled?
No. The federal system has no parole, so the sentence a judge imposes is close to what a person will actually serve. That is one reason charge selection and guideline calculations get so much attention.
Can the government take my business or home before I am convicted?
It can seize or restrain assets it claims are connected to an offense, and some federal statutes carry forfeiture of money, real estate, vehicles, and business assets. Contesting the connection between the property and the alleged crime is part of the defense.
I relied on my accountant or a loan broker. Is that a defense?
It can matter a great deal. Federal fraud charges generally depend on proving criminal intent, and reliance on a professional, confusing program rules, or an honest misunderstanding about how funds could be used can undercut that element. It depends on the documents and on what you knew.
Can a federal case be handled by someone who also knows state court?
Yes, and it helps. Mr. Hassan also defends serious state charges, which matters when a state arrest runs alongside a federal investigation or when a case could be filed in either system. The firm handles both.
Is it worth contacting a lawyer if I have not been charged?
Often it is the best time. Before an indictment, a lawyer may be able to present information to prosecutors, negotiate the scope of charges, arrange a voluntary surrender, and guide you through agent contact so you do not create new problems.
Can you speak with my family in Spanish?
Yes. Mr. Hassan is fluent in Spanish and speaks directly with clients and relatives, which helps families who are more comfortable discussing the case in their own language.
Do federal charges against someone in Coral Gables always stay in Miami?
No. Federal practice is not limited by county lines, and a case can be brought in whichever district the government believes has jurisdiction. Mr. Hassan represents clients charged in federal courts across the country as well as in the Southern District of Florida.
Serving Coral Gables Federal Defense Clients Across South Florida
From the downtown Gables business district and the neighborhoods around the University of Miami, the firm represents clients throughout Coral Gables and into neighboring Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Kendall, and Miami proper. We also serve clients in Hialeah, Doral, Miami Beach, Aventura, North Miami, Homestead, and Miami Gardens, which together cover Miami-Dade County.
Because federal cases do not stop at county lines, the firm’s work extends to Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Monroe County, and to matters across the Southern District of Florida and in federal courts nationwide. Whether the investigation concerns a medical practice, a family business, an international transaction, or a pandemic loan, the defense is built around the specific facts and the agencies involved.
Speak With a Coral Gables Federal Defense Attorney Before Agents Do
The decisions you make in the first days of a federal investigation can shape everything that follows. If agents have contacted you, you have received a target letter or subpoena, or you have been charged, a Coral Gables federal defense attorney at the Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. can step in at any hour. Call to arrange a confidential consultation and begin building your defense.