White Collar Advice Blog

Federal Plea vs. Trial: What Defendants Get Wrong
Before You Plead Guilty, Read This: My Conversation with Defense Lawyer Stephen Lee If you are facing federal charges and deciding between

He Faced 9 to 11 Years. He Got 24 Months. Then Richard Called In From His Hotel.
The most effective thing a federal defendant can do before a sentencing hearing is build a documented, time-stamped record. Not a last-minute

RDAP Program: How to Get Up to 1 Year Off Your Federal Sentence
Article 11 of 31 | Series: Federal Sentencing & the Sentence Calculator Of all the sentence reduction tools available to federal prisoners,

The Executive Who Practiced His Apology for Weeks and Still Got 18 Extra Months
I spoke with an executive this week who had done everything people tell you to do before sentencing. Pressed suit. Letters from

How to Show Remorse at Sentencing
The man had a polished letter, a pressed suit, and a speech he practiced in the mirror. Then he stood in federal

Proffers, Reverse Proffers, and Cooperation: What You Need to Know
If you’re facing a federal investigation, your lawyer may have already used the term “proffer” or “reverse proffer.” You may have nodded
The White Collar Advice blog helps people under investigation or facing federal sentencing understand the system, avoid mistakes that lead to longer sentences or tougher prison placements, and prepare for prison and reentry.
People under federal investigation, facing sentencing, or preparing for prison who want to build a documented record that shows they are different from the government’s one-sided version of events. Family members who want to understand the process and help a loved one prepare should read it too.
Yes. The blog is based on the combined experience of our team at White Collar Advice, including my time in the system, Michael Santos’s 26 years in federal prison, and the work we’ve done with thousands of people going through investigations, sentencing, and reentry. Everything comes from what we’ve seen and documented over many years.
These blogs teach you how to create assets that do not currently exist to influence cynical stakeholders, like a Federal Judge or Probation Officer.