A former budget analyst for the State Department, who worked during the Biden administration, has admitted to embezzling over $650,000 from the agency over a two-year period, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Levita Almuete Ferrer, aged 64, confessed to abusing her signature authority on a State Department checking account from March 2022 to April 2024. A resident of Maryland, Ferrer served as a senior budget analyst in the Office of the Chief of Protocol within the department.
According to prosecutors, Ferrer issued 60 checks to herself and three to an individual with whom she had a personal relationship. She printed and signed all 63 checks before depositing them into her personal bank accounts, as further noted by the outlet. The total amount of the checks was $657,347.50, as stated by prosecutors.
Ferrer, who is also known as Levita Brezovic, attempted to hide the embezzlement by utilizing a QuickBooks account. Prosecutors indicated that she listed her name as the payee in QuickBooks, subsequently printing the checks before making deposits.
After printing the checks, Ferrer frequently modified the payee information in QuickBooks, changing it from her name to that of a legitimate vendor associated with the State Department. This strategy complicated the identification of her as the actual recipient for anyone reviewing the system.
On Wednesday, she pleaded guilty to theft of government property and is set to be sentenced on September 18. Ferrer could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, as reported by The Post.
As part of her plea agreement, Ferrer has committed to repaying the entire amount stolen in restitution to the U.S. government and is also subject to a forfeiture money judgment for the same sum, the report further indicated.
Earlier last month, a bodyguard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s security detail was arrested after exhibiting erratic behavior at a hotel in Brussels and engaging in a confrontation with police officers in the Belgian city.
The seasoned Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent was placed in handcuffs after losing his temper when staff at the prestigious Hotel Amigo declined to reopen the bar after hours.
Sources indicate that the bodyguard became physically aggressive when hotel personnel, including the night manager, tried to persuade him to return to his room.
Subsequently, the DSS agent engaged in a confrontation with the police after they were summoned by hotel management for assistance, resulting in his arrest, as reported by the New York Post.
Later that same day, the agent was released following intervention from the US Embassy in Brussels, according to sources who communicated with The Post.
Rubio stayed at the same hotel later that week during his visit to Belgium for a NATO leaders’ meeting, although he was not present during the alleged incident.
DSS agents are tasked with ensuring the safety of US diplomats and diplomatic facilities globally, as well as investigating crimes such as passport and visa fraud.
A State Department official noted that many shift supervisors, including the arrested agent, are under significant stress.
“Shift supervisors [on Rubio’s detail] have an overwhelming workload,” one source informed the Washington Examiner. “They are accountable for all the agents beneath them, scheduling, evaluations, and an excessive amount of administrative tasks [in addition to] performing the actual shift duties.”
“They work six to seven days a week. I genuinely believe this incident was a consequence of the immense pressure [the agent] was subjected to and, at the very least, [the DSS] owes [them] a thorough assessment of these circumstances in their entirety,” the source further stated.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is aware of allegations regarding an incident involving an employee in Brussels, Belgium, on March 31, 2025,” a State Department spokesperson informed the Examiner. “While we do not comment on specific personnel issues, the allegations are currently under review.”