# The Law Offices of Jason Goldman | New York City Federal & State Criminal Defense Lawyer > https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com > Last Updated: 2026-09-03 Part trial lawyer, part dealmaker, part fixer. Jason Goldman is a tried-and-true litigator who represents individuals being criminally prosecuted by the government and those with extraordinary stakes at risk in civil disputes. For individuals facing existential legal threats, he offers elite, selective representation designed to protect the client’s future and reputation. ## Key Pages - Homepage: https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/ - Practice Areas: https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/practice-areas/ - Attorneys: https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/attorneys/ - Blog: https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/ - Contact: https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/contact/ ## Social Profiles - https://twitter.com/jasongoldmanlaw - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-goldman-155b58b0/ - https://www.instagram.com/jasongoldmanlaw/ ## Recent Articles ### Twelve Strangers, One Room: How a Grand Jury Actually Decides Murder, Manslaughter, or Nothing at All https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/twelve-strangers-one-room-how-a-grand-jury-actually-decides-murder-manslaughter-or-nothing-at-all/ (2026-09-03) The Law Offices of Jason Goldman understands how to present a case at this critical early stage, before a grand jury ever votes. ### When the Subway Becomes Exhibit A: What Transit Violence Cases Reveal About New York Self-Defense Law https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/when-the-subway-becomes-exhibit-a-what-transit-violence-cases-reveal-about-new-york-self-defense-law/ (2026-09-02) Reach out to our New York self-defense attorneys at The Law Offices of Jason Goldman whenever you're ready to discuss your situation. ### Small Fish, Big Net: What It Means to Be a “Minor Participant” in a Multi-Defendant Drug Conspiracy https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/small-fish-big-net-what-it-means-to-be-a-minor-participant-in-a-multi-defendant-drug-conspiracy/ (2026-08-27) Contact our Manhattan federal drug crime attorneys at the Law Offices of Jason Goldman to talk through your role in the case. ### Numbers on a Grid: How Federal Sentencing Guidelines Actually Work, Explained in Plain English https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/numbers-on-a-grid-how-federal-sentencing-guidelines-actually-work-explained-in-plain-english/ (2026-08-26) Our Manhattan federal sentencing attorneys at the Law Offices of Jason Goldman calculate this math carefully in every case we take on, and we look for every legitimate argument to bring the final number down. ### Two Roads Below the Guidelines: Why Variance and Departure Are Not the Same Word https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/two-roads-below-the-guidelines-why-variance-and-departure-are-not-the-same-word/ (2026-08-20) Our New York criminal defense sentencing attorneys at The Law Offices of Jason Goldman have spent years building sentencing submissions that make full use of both departure and variance arguments where appropriate. ### One Word Can Mean Decades: Murder Two Versus Manslaughter One in New York https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/one-word-can-mean-decades-murder-two-versus-manslaughter-one-in-new-york/ (2026-08-19) If you or someone you know is facing a homicide charge in New York, contact The Law Offices of Jason Goldman today to discuss your case. ### Two Sets of Handcuffs, One Argument: Why Both Parties Sometimes Get Arrested in Domestic Violence Incidents https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/two-sets-of-handcuffs-one-argument-why-both-parties-sometimes-get-arrested-in-domestic-violence-incidents/ (2026-08-07) Our Manhattan assault attorneys at the Law Offices of Jason Goldman can walk through what happened at the scene and what it means for your case. Reach out to our team today. ### A Court Seal on Your Doorstep: Receiving a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena, and What to Do Before You Respond https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/a-court-seal-on-your-doorstep-receiving-a-federal-grand-jury-subpoena-and-what-to-do-before-you-respond/ (2026-08-06) Our Manhattan federal investigations attorneys at the Law Offices of Jason Goldman help clients respond strategically from the moment they are served, and we would rather hear from you before that first conversation with agents than after. ### How Federal Conspiracy Charges Pull High-Net-Worth Individuals Into Cases https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/federal-conspiracy-traps-executives-investors/ (2026-05-18) Federal conspiracy charges can pull executives and investors into criminal cases. Learn how early defense can protect you. ### Prediction Market Insider Trading: What Federal Charges Look Like After United States v. Van Dyke https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/insights/prediction-market-insider-trading/ (2026-05-07) Trading on Kalshi or Polymarket using nonpublic info is a federal crime. What the Van Dyke case means for traders, employees, and federal staff. ## Frequently Asked Questions Q: What is the difference between a substantive RICO charge and a RICO conspiracy charge? A: A substantive RICO charge requires proof that you personally committed at least two predicate acts of racketeering as part of an enterprise. A RICO conspiracy charge, which is far more commonly used, only requires proof that you agreed to participate in an enterprise that would engage in a pattern of racketeering. You can be convicted of RICO conspiracy without personally committing any of the underlying predicate acts, as long as the government proves you agreed to participate in the overall... Q: Can I be charged under RICO even if I never knew the full scope of the organization? A: Yes. Federal courts have consistently held that RICO defendants do not need to know every detail of the enterprise, every other participant, or the full scope of the criminal activity. The government must show you knowingly agreed to participate in the enterprise's affairs through a pattern of racketeering, but not that you had complete knowledge of all its operations. This is one reason why RICO conspiracy charges can reach people who had peripheral or limited roles. Q: How long do federal RICO investigations typically last before charges are filed? A: It is common for RICO investigations to run for two to five years before an indictment is returned. Grand juries can be empaneled and kept running for extended periods, during which the government builds its enterprise theory, flips cooperating witnesses, and gathers electronic surveillance evidence. By the time an indictment becomes public, the government often has a mature evidentiary record that defendants are working to overcome from a significant disadvantage. Q: What happens to my business if I am charged under RICO? A: The consequences for a legitimate business can be severe. The government can seek to freeze or forfeit assets it ties to the alleged enterprise, which may include business accounts, real property, and receivables. In some cases, the government can pursue the business entity itself as the enterprise. This makes early legal intervention critical, both to protect legitimate business assets from overbroad forfeiture claims and to manage the reputational impact of a federal RICO indictment on ongo... Q: Do federal prosecutors in New York use RICO against white-collar defendants, or is it mainly for gang cases? A: Both. The SDNY and EDNY have historically used RICO in organized crime and gang prosecutions, but the statute's reach extends to any qualifying enterprise, including financial services firms, real estate organizations, healthcare networks, and political operations. RICO provides prosecutors with a powerful tool to aggregate related fraudulent conduct that might otherwise appear as separate, smaller offenses into a single, sweeping indictment with dramatically higher sentencing exposure. Q: Can the government use wiretap evidence against me in a RICO case? A: Yes, and wiretap evidence is among the most damaging types of evidence in these cases because it captures defendants in their own words. Federal wiretap authorizations require judicial approval and are subject to legal challenge, but successfully suppressing wiretap evidence requires demonstrating specific procedural violations in how the surveillance was obtained or conducted. An attorney familiar with federal electronic surveillance law needs to review the government's wiretap application a... Q: If a cooperating witness is the main evidence against me, what does my defense look like? A: Cooperating witnesses, known as cooperators or snitches in federal practice, are often the cornerstone of RICO prosecutions. They are also deeply impeachable. A cooperator typically receives a substantial benefit in exchange for testimony, including reduced charges or a favorable sentencing recommendation. That relationship gives the defense significant ammunition. Cross-examination of a cooperator in a federal RICO trial is often the highest-stakes moment in the case, and it requires extensi... Q: How does RICO forfeiture actually work and what can the government take? A: RICO forfeiture is broad and mandatory upon conviction. The government can pursue any interest the defendant obtained through the racketeering activity, any interest in the enterprise itself, and any property used to facilitate the charged conduct. This can include cash, real estate, vehicles, investment accounts, and business equity. Pre-trial asset restraint is common, meaning the government can seek to freeze assets before trial based on a showing of probable cause. Challenging the scope a... Q: What is the role of a pre-arrest investigation in a RICO defense? A: In a typical arrest, the defense is reactive. In a RICO case, there is often an extended window between the start of the government's investigation and the moment charges are filed. During that window, a defense attorney who is engaged early can conduct a parallel investigation, identify witnesses who can provide favorable accounts, assess the government's likely theory of the enterprise, advise the client on interactions with law enforcement, and in some cases, engage directly with prosecuto... Q: Is it possible to get a RICO charge reduced to individual predicate offenses through negotiation? A: In some cases, yes. Resolving a federal RICO conspiracy charge through a plea to one or more individual predicate offenses can substantially reduce sentencing exposure and eliminate the enterprise-level consequences that follow a RICO conviction. Whether that outcome is achievable depends heavily on the government's evidence, the strength of the defense case, and the prosecutorial posture of the office handling the matter. In the SDNY and EDNY, these negotiations require experienced counsel w... Q: What is the difference between money laundering and money laundering conspiracy? A: Money laundering charges allege that a specific individual personally conducted or attempted to conduct a transaction meeting certain criteria. A conspiracy charge alleges that you agreed with at least one other person to commit a money laundering offense, regardless of whether the actual laundering was ever completed. The conspiracy charge is often easier for prosecutors to prove because it does not require them to tie you directly to a specific transaction, only to an agreement. Q: How serious are federal money laundering conspiracy convictions? A: Federal money laundering convictions carry statutory penalties that can reach twenty years of imprisonment per count, depending on the specific subsection charged. Sentences in the federal system are governed by the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which calculate a recommended range based on the amount of money involved and various adjustments for role in the offense, obstruction, and other factors. In large-scale financial conspiracy cases, guideline ranges can be substantial even for d... Q: Can someone be charged with money laundering conspiracy even if they did not know the money was criminal proceeds? A: Knowledge of the illegal source of funds is an element the government must establish. However, prosecutors frequently argue that a defendant had "willful blindness," meaning they deliberately avoided learning facts that would have revealed the criminal nature of the proceeds. Courts have consistently upheld willful blindness as sufficient to satisfy the knowledge element, which is why circumstances suggesting that someone deliberately looked away from obvious red flags can be highly damaging ... Q: What is a "specified unlawful activity" and why does it matter for my defense? A: Federal law requires that the funds involved in a money laundering charge come from a specific list of predicate crimes, referred to as "specified unlawful activities." The government must prove both the predicate offense and the laundering conduct. If the defense can undermine the government's evidence that the funds were actually derived from a specified unlawful activity, the entire laundering theory may collapse. This is one of the more technically demanding and often underexplored defens... Q: What happens at a proffer session and should I participate? A: A proffer session is a meeting between a defendant or subject and federal prosecutors, often conducted under a limited-use immunity agreement, in which the individual provides information about what they know. The decision to proffer is one of the most consequential choices in a federal investigation. What you say can be used to cross-examine you if you later testify inconsistently, and the session provides prosecutors with a roadmap of your knowledge and potential value as a witness or targe... Q: How does a federal money laundering conspiracy charge affect someone who works in finance, real estate, or law in New York? A: Professional licensing consequences compound the criminal exposure significantly. An indictment, not just a conviction, can trigger proceedings with licensing bodies including the New York State Department of Financial Services for finance professionals, the New York State Department of State for real estate brokers, and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for attorneys. Managing parallel regulatory and criminal proceedings simultaneously requires coordination between the criminal def... Q: Is it possible to be added to a money laundering conspiracy after the initial indictment? A: Yes. Superseding indictments are common in multi-defendant federal cases, and new defendants are frequently added as the investigation matures and cooperating witnesses begin providing information. Someone who was not named in the initial indictment may find themselves charged months later as additional evidence surfaces or as co-defendants agree to cooperate. This possibility underscores why individuals who believe they may be connected to an investigation, even peripherally, should not wait... Q: What role do cooperating witnesses typically play in federal money laundering conspiracy trials? A: Cooperating witnesses are often the centerpiece of the government's case. These are individuals who have already accepted plea agreements and agreed to testify in exchange for sentencing consideration. Cross-examining cooperating witnesses effectively requires deep preparation: understanding their full criminal history, the specifics of their cooperation agreements, prior inconsistent statements, and any motive to fabricate or exaggerate their account of the defendant's role. The Southern Dis... Q: Can assets be frozen before trial in a federal money laundering case? A: Federal law permits the government to seek pretrial restraint of assets that are alleged to be subject to forfeiture. In money laundering cases, this can include funds in business accounts, real property, and investment accounts. An asset freeze can be financially devastating before any verdict is reached. Defense attorneys can challenge restraining orders and seek to release funds necessary for ordinary living expenses or legal fees, but that requires a motion practice that begins promptly a... Q: How long do federal money laundering conspiracy investigations typically run before charges are filed? A: There is no standard timeline. Some investigations move from initial inquiry to indictment within a year. Others, particularly those involving complex financial networks, international dimensions, or parallel investigations in multiple jurisdictions, can span several years. In New York, investigations touching on organized financial crime have sometimes run for three to five years before charges surfaced. The extended timeline is itself a strategic consideration: the longer an investigation r... Q: What is the difference between mail fraud and wire fraud? A: The statutes are structurally identical. Mail fraud requires use of the United States mail. Wire fraud requires use of wire communications, including phone calls, emails, and electronic transfers. Because modern fraud schemes almost always involve both, defendants are frequently charged under both statutes simultaneously, and the same scheme can support multiple counts under each. The practical sentencing exposure is the same. Q: Do I have to have personally used the mail to be charged with mail fraud conspiracy? A: No. Conspiracy doctrine means that a defendant can be held liable for mailings sent by any co-conspirator in furtherance of the scheme, as long as the mailing was reasonably foreseeable. The government does not need to prove you personally deposited anything in the mail. This is one of the reasons mail fraud conspiracy charges can reach defendants who played secondary or supporting roles in an alleged scheme. Q: What are the potential federal penalties for mail fraud conspiracy? A: Each count of mail fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. Financial institution fraud schemes carry a higher ceiling. Conspiracy counts typically carry the same penalties as the underlying substantive offense. In practice, the actual sentence in any given case depends heavily on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which calculate an advisory range based on factors like the amount of loss, the number of victims, the defendant's role, and any prior criminal history. Cases... Q: Can the government charge me in both federal and state court for the same conduct? A: Yes. The dual sovereignty doctrine under federal law means that a federal prosecution does not bar a separate state prosecution arising from the same conduct, and vice versa. In practice, parallel prosecutions are less common, and the two offices often coordinate. But in New York, where both federal and state prosecutors are highly active, defendants in major fraud cases should be aware that state exposure may exist alongside any federal indictment. Q: What happens if a co-conspirator cooperates against me? A: Cooperating witnesses are a central feature of federal mail fraud conspiracy prosecutions. When one defendant agrees to cooperate with the government in exchange for sentencing consideration, their testimony can be used against remaining defendants at trial. Cooperation agreements are common in multi-defendant cases, and the sequence in which defendants are charged and resolve their cases can significantly affect the evidentiary landscape for those who go to trial. Challenging the credibility... --- Detailed version — see https://www.jasongoldmanlaw.com/llms.txt for summary Generated by MileMark Schema Pro