A former U.S. State Department employee has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 in government funds over a two-year period, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64, of Maryland, admitted to misusing her financial authority while working as a senior budget analyst in the Office of the Chief of Protocol. Between March 2022 and April 2024, Ferrer used her access to a government checking account to issue 63 checks — 60 to herself and 3 to an individual with whom she had a personal relationship.
Prosecutors stated that Ferrer deposited these checks, totaling $657,347.50, into her personal bank accounts. She used QuickBooks to conceal the fraud by listing herself as the payee, printing the checks, and later altering the payee names in the system to make it appear as if the payments went to legitimate vendors.
Ferrer pleaded guilty to theft of government property and is scheduled for sentencing on September 18. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
As part of her plea deal, Ferrer agreed to repay the full amount and is also subject to a forfeiture money judgment equal to the embezzled funds.
Related Incident: Security Agent Detained in Brussels
In a separate case, a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent was briefly detained by local authorities in Brussels following a disturbance at a hotel. According to reports, the agent became unruly after hotel staff refused to reopen the bar after hours.
When employees attempted to escort him to his room, the agent became physically aggressive. Police were called and the agent was handcuffed after resisting their efforts to de-escalate the situation. He was later released with assistance from the U.S. Embassy.
Sources familiar with the matter cited overwork and high stress levels as contributing factors. DSS agents often face demanding schedules, including managing shifts, coordinating personnel, and fulfilling administrative duties in addition to their primary security responsibilities.
A spokesperson from the State Department confirmed the incident is under review, but declined to comment further due to privacy concerns.
