Joe Nascimento

joenascimento@crimlawfirm.com

Partner | Ross Amsel Raben Nascimento, PLLC

When someone calls Joe Nascimento, they are usually facing one of the worst moments of their life. A federal investigation. A criminal charge. A knock on the door they never expected. In those moments, what people need is not just a skilled attorney, they need someone who will be honest with them, fight for them, and stand beside them every step of the way.

That is exactly what Joe does.

With over 15 years of experience in federal and state criminal defense, Joe has built his practice on a simple but powerful belief: every client deserves individualized representation from an attorney who is genuinely accessible, deeply invested in their case, and committed not just to achieving the best possible result but to helping them survive the process.

A Record Built in the Courtroom

Joe has tried cases at every level of the criminal justice system, from misdemeanors to 1st Degree Murder, including complex death penalty litigation. He has obtained complete acquittals in some of the most serious cases Florida courts have seen, and has successfully appealed convictions before the Florida District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

Today, Joe's practice is focused on white collar criminal defense and complex government investigations - representing individuals, executives, physicians, and healthcare organizations facing scrutiny from federal agencies including the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, IRS, ICE, and DHS. His cases span multiple jurisdictions across the country, and his approach is always the same: get ahead of the investigation, minimize exposure, and protect his clients from the reputational and personal damage that a federal prosecution can cause long before a verdict is ever reached.

More Than a Managing Partner

Joe is the Managing Partner of Ross Amsel Raben Nascimento, PLLC, a boutique criminal defense firm that has a long history in Miami with its predecessor firm, Robbins Tunkey Ross Amsel Raben & Waxman, P.A. established in 1977 and well-known as one of the largest criminal defense firms in the Southeast from 1977-2016. Joe is the kind of partner who still answers the phone. His clients are not handed off to associates or left waiting for callbacks. They have direct access to him - because he understands that when your freedom, your career, your business and your reputation are on the line, you deserve to hear from your actual attorney.

Recent Representations

Joe's recent case results reflect the breadth and depth of his federal and state criminal defense practice:

In the area of federal healthcare fraud defense, Joe has achieved significant results for physicians and healthcare business owners facing multi-million dollar Medicare fraud allegations across multiple jurisdictions nationwide. He secured probation and preservation of medical licenses for physicians prosecuted in New York and Georgia on telemedicine fraud charges. He represented a Michigan physician identified as a target of a federal Grand Jury investigation by the Department of Justice, achieving a civil settlement with no criminal charges filed and full preservation of the doctor's medical license. He successfully defended three owners of a durable medical equipment company in Utah facing multi-million dollar Medicare fraud allegations, resulting in no criminal charges. He also recently represented a husband and wife charged in Texas in connection with a healthcare fraud scheme involving a genetic testing marketing company, achieving a sentence of probation, as well as a probation sentence for a nurse practitioner in Idaho.

Joe's trial record in serious felony matters remains equally strong. In September 2022, he obtained a not guilty verdict in a 1st Degree Murder trial in Broward County, Florida on self-defense grounds. In May 2023, he secured a not guilty verdict in a Miami-Dade Attempted 1st Degree Murder retrial - a case that reached retrial only after Joe successfully obtained a reversal of the original conviction before the 3rd District Court of Appeal. In October 2023, he won a not guilty verdict for a lawyer and Army reservist in Miami-Dade County on a 2nd Degree felony charge, following his successful effort in 2022 to vacate the client's prior conviction and secure a new trial.

Beyond individual cases, Joe has been involved in complex, high-profile matters including the internationally recognized State v. Pablo Ibar case, the Jeffrey Epstein matter, civil asset recovery proceedings seeking millions in funds seized from corrupt Venezuelan kleptocrats, and a significant 11th Circuit appellate victory in which the court reversed a conviction and ordered the Defendant released immediately on the grounds that prosecutors failed to meet their burden of proof at trial.

Giving Back to the Next Generation

Outside of his practice, Joe serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Miami School of Law, where he teaches Pre-Trial Litigation Skills and Advanced Criminal Litigation Skills to J.D. candidates. He brings his real-world federal courtroom experience directly into the classroom, mentoring future trial lawyers with the same dedication he brings to his clients.

Leadership Beyond the Law

Joe's commitment to service extends well beyond the courtroom. He currently serves as President of the International Executive Council of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity - founded at Yale University in 1895 as the first non-sectarian fraternity in the United States and a historic leader in the elimination of prejudice on college campuses and in communities across the country. In this role, Joe oversees national strategy, budgeting, risk management, and executive leadership for an organization with 42 active chapters and over 44,000 lifetime members. He works closely with Pi Lambda Phi's 501(c)(3) sister organization to coordinate fundraising, scholarships, and educational programming for students nationwide.

Joe is also on the Board of Directors for the South Florida chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He previously served as a Board Member of the American Civil Liberties Union - Greater Miami Chapter, where he contributed his criminal defense expertise to advocacy efforts focused on civil rights, due process, and law enforcement accountability.

Education

Joe earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, and holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Criminology from the University of Florida.

Bar Admissions

Joe is admitted to practice in the State of Florida and the District of Columbia, and is admitted to the following federal courts: the U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas; the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court.

His national federal practice extends further through pro hac vice admissions in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Georgia, the Eastern District of New York, the Eastern District of Texas, the Western District of Pennsylvania, the District of Idaho, the District of New Hampshire, and the District of New Jersey - reflecting the truly nationwide reach of his federal criminal defense work.

The State v. Pablo Ibar - Documentary Trailer

Miami Lawyers seek millions in funds seized from corrupt Venezuelan kleptocrats

11th Circuit reversal says prosecutors failed to meet burden of proof