Kelly T. Currie named acting U.S. attorney for Eastern District

Kelly T. Currie has been named acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the Department of Justice said Monday.

Currie, most recently the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, will be responsible for overseeing all federal criminal and civil investigations and cases in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, as well as in Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to a news release.

He replaces Loretta Lynch, who Monday was sworn in as U.S. attorney general five months after President Barack Obama submitted her nomination to Congress.

Currie will supervise a staff of about 170 attorneys and 129 support personnel.

He returned to the U.S. attorney's office in November following the Lynch nomination after being in private practice for four years at Manhattan-based Crowell & Moring. He was named Lynch's top assistant, putting him in position to become acting U.S. attorney after Lynch's confirmation.

While in private practice, he represented corporations and individuals in white collar criminal defense matters, enforcement actions, corporate internal investigations, and complex civil litigation, officials said.

Before joining the firm, Currie served in the U.S. attorney's office from 1999 to 2010, including as deputy chief of the criminal division and chief of the violent crimes and terrorism section.

He led investigations and prosecutions of a wide range of crimes, including racketeering, international terrorism, securities and wire fraud, money laundering and murder.