Furthermore, you cannot file a criminal lawsuit. A criminal prosecution is filed by the district attorney's office and it is within the prosecutorial discretion of the D.A. whether to file such a case. Your remedy is thus only in civil court, which army judge has addressed. You probably want to send a demand letter first -- a formal letter setting forth the exact amount owed for the work performed, with specifics, as well as a demand for the amount within a specified period of time (e.g. 2 weeks from the date of the letter) and mailed via a certified method of mail, e.g. certified mail! After time has passed and you have not been paid, you can consider proceeding to a civil court such as small claims court. Good luck.
