Experienced
Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense

Criminal Charges We Defend in Broward County

Hager & Schwartz, P.A. defends clients charged with a wide range of state and federal offenses throughout Broward County, from a first misdemeanor to a federal indictment.

• Felonies and Misdemeanors +

  Florida separates criminal charges into misdemeanors, which carry up to a year in county jail and move through Broward County Court, and felonies, which range from third-degree to capital charges and move through Broward Circuit Court with state prison exposure. The difference is where the case is heard and what is at stake for a client’s record, employment, and freedom going forward. Our Broward County felony lawyers apply the same level of preparation to a first-offense misdemeanor and a life felony charge.

• Federal Crimes and White-Collar Cases +

  Federal charges arising in Broward County are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division, and carry their own sentencing guidelines and procedure. Our firm defends wire fraud, mail fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and federal drug offenses. Grand jury matters, target letters, and parallel state-federal investigations often surface before an indictment is filed, and early representation can change what evidence and testimony are available by the time charges are considered. Brett Schwartz is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in addition to state court, and our firm handles federal forfeiture proceedings directly. Our Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyers are ready to help with your case.

  Results:

  • No Jail Time

    Federal

    FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES & TAMPERING IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS

    FACTS: Client was a nurse at two major South Florida hospitals. During his employment, he was caught switching Fentenyl with Saline due to his drug addiction. As a result, he was initially charged in state court with felony drug charges then indicted on the same allegations in Federal Court, Southern District of Florida for tampering with consumer products. The client was looking at over 30 years in the state case and an additional 30 years in the federal case.

    RESULT: Mr. Schwartz was able to negotiate a plea in state court to three years of probation (no jail) and convince the Federal Court to a sentence well below his guidelines by presenting quite a bit of mitigation evidence.

  • Sentence Reduced Below Federal Guidelines

    Federal

    FEDERAL MONEY LAUNDERING AND WIRE FRAUD (MULTIPLE COUNTS)

    FACTS: Client, while working as an executive for a pharmaceutical company illegal routed over $1,000,000 in company funds to a personal account in another state during the COVID pandemic. He subsequently used much of the illegally obtained proceeds to purchase a house for his family. Client was looking at up to 80 years in prison as well as a criminal forfeiture where the U.S. government would have taken his primary residence, leaving his wife and two children homeless.

    RESULT: Attorney Brett Schwartz, through extensive negotiation with the government was able to save his home from governmental forfeiture and convince the court to a sentence well below his Federal sentencing guidelines, over the governments objection.

• Drug Crimes +

  Drug charges in Broward County range from simple possession to trafficking amounts that trigger Florida’s minimum mandatory sentences. Search-and-seizure issues arise constantly in these cases: how the stop occurred, whether a warrant was obtained, and whether the substance was tested and preserved correctly. Prescription-drug allegations carry the same exposure as street-drug charges under Florida law and deserve the same scrutiny.

  Results:

  • Case Dismissed

    Drug Crimes

    Juvenile Drug Possession

    Our client was charged with juvenile drug possession. We were able to get the case dismissed and expunged off their record.

  • Case Dismissed

    Drug Crimes

    Felony possession with Intent to Sell Marijuana Mr. Schwartz was able to negotiate for def to do CSH in order for the entire felony case to be DISMISSED.

  • No Mandatory Prison Time for Repeat Trafficking Charge

    Drug Crimes

    STATE COCAINE TRAFFICKING

    FACTS: Case# F24-1752

    Client was charged for the second time for cocaine trafficking and as a result was facing a 15 year minimum mandatory. Notwithstanding his significant criminal history, Mr. Schwartz was able to present to the state enough evidence to establish the case was not as strong as they originally believed and was able to negotiate a plea well below his guidelines.

• Sex Crimes +

  Sex crime allegations, prosecuted closely throughout Broward County, range from internet-based solicitation and lewd-conduct charges to sexual battery, and each carries registration consequences that extend well past any sentence. Cases in this category often turn on witness credibility, digital evidence, and the circumstances under which a statement was taken.

  Results:

  • LEWD & LASCIVIOUS MOLESTATION OF A MINOR <16

    Sex Crimes

    FACTS: Case#F24-6702. Client was accused of slapping a minor girls bottom without her consent while intoxicated on a Caribbean Cruise. Client was charged with a 2nd degree felony and thus facing 15 years in prison.

    RESULT: Mr. Schwartz was able to convince the state to file only a misdemeanor battery charge where he was sentenced to only six months of probation. The client lived out of state and never had to appear in person for court.

  • Reduced Charges

    Sex Crimes

    2 Counts of Sexual Battery on a Minor and 4 Charges of L&L on a Minor in Two Separate Cases (Facing Multiple Life Terms in Prison)

    FACTS: Well known successful artist with no criminal history was accused by two of his daughter’s childhood friends of sexually assaulting them multiple times over 15 years prior to reporting the allegations to police. As a result of the arrest, he was held without a bond in jail until Attorney Brett Schwartz was retained and was quickly able to get him out of custody and on house arrest.

    RESULT: Over the course of almost a year, Attorney Brett Schwartz analyzed the states evidence and took the depositions of the alleged victims. He was able to convince the fourth prosecutor assigned to the case that the alleged victims lacked credibility based on significant inconsistencies in their testimony. As a result, all of the sexual offenses were dismissed and the client ultimately plead to one count of a much lesser charge, which allowed him to resume his normal life with his family.

  • No Jail / Prison Time

    Sex Crimes

    When the client was 24 years old, he was arrested for having sexual relations with a fourteen year old. He was facing 30 years in Florida State Prison. Mr. Schwartz, after an exhaustive discovery process was able to negotiate a resolution of community control and probation with no jail time.

• Domestic Violence +

  An arrest for domestic violence in Broward County typically comes with an automatic no-contact condition, and violating it, even unintentionally, can add a new charge to the original one. Injunctions, firearm surrender requirements, and employment consequences often follow an arrest before any conviction is entered.

  Results:

  • Expunged

    Domestic Battery

    Client was charged with battery and domestic violence. Our team was able to get the case dropped and expunged off their record.

  • Case and Injunction Dismissed

    Domestic Battery

    Aggravated Battery and Domestic Violence Injunction

    Client was arrested for aggravated battery and was the recipient of a petition for permanent restraining order. Mr. Schwartz, through deposition was able to establish that the “victim” completely lacked credibility. As a result, the assistant state attorney realized that she had no case because of the lack of physical evidence. She was forced to drop the case.

• Violent Crimes +

  Charges in this category, filed throughout Broward County, include assault, battery, robbery, homicide, manslaughter, and weapons offenses, each carrying distinct sentencing exposure under Florida law. Self-defense, including Florida’s Stand Your Ground framework, is central to many of these cases and has to be raised early to matter at all.

• Theft, Fraud, and White-Collar Offenses +

  Theft, burglary, embezzlement, and identity theft cases in Broward County typically rely on financial records, transaction histories, and digital documentation that require careful review before a defense strategy takes shape.

  Results:

  • 2 Counts Dropped & 3rd Closed with No Conviction

    Theft Crimes

    Resisting with Violence, Petit Theft, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

    Same repeat client as above was again in a situation that resulted in a police confrontation which lead to his arrest. The officer accused him of stealing merchandise from a merchant. When approached, he shoved the officer. The client was again looking at prison time as he was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors. Mr. Schwartz was able to get two counts dismissed due to a bad search and get the felony bound to a misdemeanor, where all he had to do is pay court costs and avoided a conviction.

  • Sentence Reduced Below Federal Guidelines

    Federal

    FEDERAL MONEY LAUNDERING AND WIRE FRAUD (MULTIPLE COUNTS)

    FACTS: Client, while working as an executive for a pharmaceutical company illegal routed over $1,000,000 in company funds to a personal account in another state during the COVID pandemic. He subsequently used much of the illegally obtained proceeds to purchase a house for his family. Client was looking at up to 80 years in prison as well as a criminal forfeiture where the U.S. government would have taken his primary residence, leaving his wife and two children homeless.

    RESULT: Attorney Brett Schwartz, through extensive negotiation with the government was able to save his home from governmental forfeiture and convince the court to a sentence well below his Federal sentencing guidelines, over the governments objection.

• DUI and Traffic-Related Crimes +

  A first DUI conviction in Florida carries up to six months in jail, a fine between $500 and $1,000, at least 50 hours of community service, and a loss of driving privileges for 180 days to a year. Felony DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, driving after a suspension, and refusing to submit to testing each raise the exposure further.

  Results:

  • Reduced Charges

    DUI

    DUI and Disorderly Intoxication

    DUI was broken down to a reckless driving with no conviction and the disorderly intoxication charge was dismissed.

  • Case Dismissed

    DUI

    Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Intoxication

    Our client was charged with Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Intoxication. The case was dismissed and expunged off record.

• Probation Violations and Warrants +

  A technical violation, a new arrest while on probation, or a failure to appear can each trigger a bench warrant and a violation hearing with exposure separate from the original case. Our firm took over a probation violation case midstream after another attorney’s approach fell short, closing at least one such case within 24 hours by granting credit for time served.