Ex-Biden State Department Official Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Over $650K; Scandal Rocks Diplomatic Security Ranks
A former senior budget analyst at the State Department has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 in government funds, federal prosecutors revealed Wednesday. Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64, exploited her access and authority while serving under the Biden administration, orchestrating a two-year fraud that funneled taxpayer money directly into her own bank accounts.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., Ferrer, a Maryland resident, misused her signature authority to write and deposit 63 fraudulent checks — 60 to herself and three to a personal associate — totaling $657,347.50. She held a key position in the Office of the Chief of Protocol, where she manipulated the department’s financial systems to conceal her theft.
Prosecutors say Ferrer used QuickBooks to disguise the scheme, printing checks with her own name as the payee, only to later alter records to make them appear legitimate. By swapping her name with that of actual State Department vendors after printing, she effectively erased the paper trail — until investigators caught on.
Ferrer, also known as Levita Brezovic, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. She faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 18. As part of her plea deal, she has agreed to full restitution and a forfeiture money judgment equal to the stolen amount.
The scandal comes amid another embarrassing episode for the department — this time involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) detail.
Just weeks earlier, a DSS agent assigned to Rubio was arrested after a bizarre late-night altercation at Hotel Amigo in Brussels. The veteran security officer reportedly became enraged when staff refused to reopen the hotel bar after hours, escalating into a physical confrontation with employees and later with Belgian police. The agent was handcuffed, detained, and eventually released following intervention by the U.S. Embassy.
Though Rubio was not present at the time, he stayed at the hotel later that same week while attending a NATO summit.
Sources familiar with the incident say the arrested agent was overworked and mentally strained, part of a broader issue plaguing the DSS.
“Shift supervisors [on Rubio’s detail] have an incomprehensible workload,” a source told the Washington Examiner. “They’re doing admin, scheduling, evaluations — all while working six to seven days a week.”
A State Department spokesman confirmed the agency is “aware of allegations of an incident involving an employee in Brussels,” adding that while personnel matters aren’t publicly discussed, the case is under review.
Meanwhile, Rubio’s influence in the Trump administration continues to grow. Beyond leading the State Department, he now serves as interim national security adviser, acting USAID administrator, and acting head of the National Archives — a consolidation of power that underscores his status as one of President Trump’s most trusted Cabinet members.
