Federal Mail, Wire & Securities Fraud Defense
Federal fraud investigations often begin before charges are filed. This page explains Bedi & Singer's approach to mail, wire, securities, and related fraud allegations, from target letters and subpoenas through trial and appeal.
How a federal fraud case begins
Federal fraud cases often begin with a target letter, a grand jury subpoena, agents at a home or business, a search warrant, or word that a colleague has been interviewed by the FBI.
By then, the government may have spent months or even years reviewing emails, financial records, transactions, and witness statements. Decisions made at this stage can affect what happens next.
Bedi & Singer represents individuals nationwide in federal fraud investigations and prosecutions involving mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, financial fraud, and conspiracy, both before and after charges are filed.
From the bench
“I’ve had experience with pretty much every criminal lawyer who works in this building and some who don’t. … [Y]ou are not going to get anybody better than these two people. And I know, because I have had experience with them in other cases, that they are going to fight like heck for you.”
From the bench, September 2024
When a business or financial matter becomes a federal fraud case
Mail fraud generally requires a scheme to obtain money or property by deception, intent to defraud, and a mailing, by the Postal Service or a private interstate carrier, in furtherance of the scheme. Wire fraud follows the same framework for interstate or foreign electronic communications, so ordinary emails, invoices, contracts, and fund transfers can become evidence.
But a failed transaction, an inaccurate statement, or a financial loss is not automatically fraud. Intent matters, and a central question is often what the accused person actually knew and intended at the time. Documents that look damaging in isolation can mean something different in the context of the complete record.
The investigation may begin before anyone is charged
Some of the most consequential decisions in a federal matter happen before indictment. Bedi & Singer advises targets, subjects, and witnesses, including people who have:
- Received a target letter or grand jury subpoena
- Been approached by agents for an interview
- Had a home or business searched
- Learned that colleagues, employees, or business partners have been interviewed
- Been told that an indictment may be coming
Early representation gives counsel a chance to learn what the government is investigating, preserve evidence, find weaknesses in its theory, and advise the client before anyone speaks to investigators. Not every investigation leads to charges, and work done before indictment can be as important as the defense that follows.
What a fraud defense may require
The defense depends on the government’s theory and evidence, not just the name of the charge. It often turns on questions like these:
- Can the government prove fraudulent intent?
- Were the statements actually false or materially misleading?
- What did the client know about what others were doing?
- Is a commercial or financial dispute being treated as a crime?
- What do the emails and financial records mean in context?
- Do cooperating witnesses have motives or credibility problems?
- Can searches, statements, or other evidence be challenged?
Bedi & Singer’s work can include an independent investigation, witness interviews, responding to subpoenas, pursuing dismissal where appropriate, and preparing the case for trial.
Both partners lead the defense on every case
Jonathan Bedi and Dena Singer work on Bedi & Singer’s cases together, drawing on associates where their involvement helps the defense. They do not bring in a case and hand it off, and clients are told not only what the lawyers are doing but why.
Every case is evaluated with trial in mind, not only after negotiations fail. Bedi & Singer has represented clients in federal prosecutions involving mail and wire fraud and other complex federal offenses, from investigation through trial and appeal.
Representative matters
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Embezzlement, Northern District of Illinois, 2023
A client was charged with embezzlement. Bedi & Singer began representing the client before charges were filed. Bedi & Singer negotiated with the government for a lesser charge before charges were brought and continued the representation through sentencing. The client pled guilty and received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2023
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Company fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2025
A client was charged with defrauding the company she worked for and using the funds for personal use. Bedi & Singer represented the client from charging through sentencing. The client pled guilty and received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2025
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Mail and wire fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2022
A client was charged with wire fraud and mail fraud. Bedi & Singer represented the client from charging through sentencing. The client pled guilty and received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2022
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Honest-services fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2025
A client was charged with honest-services fraud in a case in which the client and others defrauded the state of Illinois by defrauding the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Bedi & Singer represented the client from charging through sentencing. The client received probation when the government was asking for significant prison time.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2025
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Business email compromise, Northern District of Illinois, 2023
Bedi & Singer represented a client charged with wire fraud for defrauding various companies and schools through a business email compromise scheme. The client received a sentence of 14 days, below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2023
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Timeshare wire fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2025
Bedi & Singer represented a client in a wire fraud case in which the client and others were involved in a scheme to defraud timeshare holders. The client pled guilty and received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2025
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Wire fraud involving a Chicago Public Schools leader, Northern District of Illinois, 2026
Bedi & Singer represented a Chicago Public Schools leader in a wire fraud case involving fraudulent invoices submitted to a nonprofit corporation and Chicago Public Schools. Prosecutors requested five years in prison. The client pleaded guilty and received a below-guideline sentence of one year and one day.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2026
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Airline employee wire fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2024
Bedi & Singer represented a client charged with wire fraud in a scheme to defraud his employer, a major airline. The client pled guilty and, at sentencing, received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2024
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Mortgage fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2023
Bedi & Singer represented a client in a mortgage fraud case. The client pled guilty, and Bedi & Singer obtained a favorable result at sentencing: probation with no term of incarceration.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2023
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Executive fraud, Northern District of Indiana, 2024
Bedi & Singer represented a client, the chief executive officer of a company, who was charged with fraudulently taking money that did not belong to him from the company. The client pled guilty and received probation, with no prison time, when the government was seeking significant jail time.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
- 2024
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Corporate officer fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2022
Bedi & Singer represented a client who was a vice president at a company and was charged with devising and participating in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from the company. The client pled guilty and received a sentence below the guideline range.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2022
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Railroad employee wire fraud, Northern District of Illinois, 2022
Bedi & Singer represented a railroad employee charged with wire fraud. The outcome at sentencing was successful: the client received a sentence below the guideline range and was given probation.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2022
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Theft of government funds, Northern District of Illinois, 2022
Bedi & Singer represented a client in a theft of government funds case and successfully negotiated the charge down to a misdemeanor. The client pled guilty to the misdemeanor.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- 2022
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
I received a target letter or grand jury subpoena. Do I need to wait until I am charged?
No. A person can consult defense counsel before deciding how to respond to investigators or a subpoena. At that stage, counsel may be able to learn more about the investigation, evaluate potential exposure, preserve evidence, and communicate with prosecutors or agents on the client’s behalf. What a target letter means and how a subpoena is answered are covered on the Target Letters and Grand Jury Subpoenas pages.
Does a financial loss or failed business transaction mean fraud occurred?
Not necessarily. Federal fraud offenses require more than a poor outcome or business disagreement. The government’s evidence concerning intent, representations, knowledge, and the alleged scheme must be evaluated in the context of the particular case.
Can a federal fraud matter end without a trial?
Yes. Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may end without charges, charges may be challenged or dismissed, or a case may be resolved by agreement. Other cases proceed to trial. The appropriate course depends on the evidence, potential defenses, the government’s position, and the client’s objectives.
Contact Bedi & Singer
If you have received a target letter or subpoena, been contacted by federal investigators, learned that you are under investigation, or have been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, or a related federal offense, contact Bedi & Singer to discuss the matter.
The earlier Bedi & Singer understands what is happening, the sooner it can begin evaluating the government’s case and the decisions that may come next.