Kelly Currie was named Monday acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York after his boss and predecessor, Loretta Lynch, was sworn in as U.S. Attorney General, replacing Eric Holder.
Currie, who was Lynch’s chief assistant, will oversee a staff of nearly 300 tasked with investigating and prosecuting federal criminal and civil cases on Long Island as well as in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. His takeover follows Lynch’s five-month-long wait to be confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate, which made her the first African American woman to be the nation’s top law enforcement official.
“I am honored beyond words to step into this larger role today as your Attorney General as we continue the core work, our mission, the protection of the American people,” Lynch told reporters during a news conference immediately after her swearing in ceremony.
Currie has done two stints as a federal prosecutor. During his first time around from 1999-2010, he worked his way up to Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief of the Violent Crimes & Terrorism Section. He then spent four years working in the Manhattan office of Washington, D.C.-based law firm Crowell & Moring, LLP before returning to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in November.
His private practice work included representing corporations and individuals in white collar criminal defense matters, corporate internal investigations and complex civil litigation. His work as a federal prosecutor has included leading investigations and prosecutions of crimes ranging from racketeering, terrorism, fraud, money laundering and murder.
Aside from those jobs, Currie served as a senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine). He graduated from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce in ‘86 and the University of Virginia School of Law in ‘93.
