In a stunning case that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, Levita Almuete Ferrer, a veteran State Department budget analyst, has admitted to orchestrating a sophisticated embezzlement scheme that siphoned more than $650,000 from the U.S. government over a two-year period.

Ferrer, a 64-year-old Maryland resident, who served as a senior budget analyst in the department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol during the Biden administration, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. This case has raised serious concerns about financial oversight within one of America’s most critical diplomatic institutions.

According to prosecutors, Ferrer exploited her signature authority over a State Department checking account between March 2022 and April 2024. During this period,

Ferrer wrote 60 checks to herself and three additional checks to someone with whom she had a personal relationship. The total amount embezzled reached a staggering $657,347.50, money that was diverted directly into Ferrer’s personal bank accounts. Read more below