The case is federal, and nothing works the way you expected

Why can I not find someone in federal custody?

This is the most common call we get on federal cases. Someone is arrested by a federal agency, and the family checks the Bureau of Prisons locator and finds nothing. That is expected. Before sentencing, people are usually held by the U.S. Marshals Service in a contracted county jail or a federal detention center, and they will not appear in the Bureau of Prisons system for a long time, sometimes not until after sentencing.

So the person is in a local jail, but the local jail's public search may not list them either, because they are a federal hold. We either already know which facility holds the marshals' contract in that district, or we can find out the same day.

How is release decided in federal court?

A federal judge, usually a magistrate judge, decides at a detention hearing whether a person is released and on what conditions. The decision is about whether the person is a flight risk or a danger, not about how much money is available. A judge can order release with no money at all, release on conditions, or detention with no release.

That means the money question comes second, and sometimes it does not come at all. We will tell you if we think a surety bond is not what you need.

What we do

• Locate the person, including in facilities that do not show federal holds publicly
• Find out what the court has actually ordered
• Handle the surety side once a bond with a financial condition has been set
• Explain the collateral requirement and every cost in writing before you sign
• Connect you with licensed attorneys who practice in federal court

Where federal cases come from

Federal custody has fewer entry points than county custody.

What collateral is needed for a federal bond?

Federal bonds are frequently larger than county bail, and courts often want property or a substantial cash deposit rather than a signature. If real estate is being used, expect the court to look at ownership, equity, and documentation, and expect that review to take time. We will tell you what will be needed before you start gathering it, so you are not doing it twice.

Get a lawyer early

We say this on every federal case. The detention hearing usually happens within a few days of arrest and it shapes everything that follows. A bond service cannot argue at that hearing. A licensed attorney can. If you do not have one, tell us and we will connect you with attorneys who take federal cases.