A former budget analyst for the State Department has confessed to stealing over $650,000 from the agency, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC.
Levita Almuutee Ferrer, 64, from Maryland, admitted that between March 2022 and April 2024, she misused her signature authority and her position as a senior budget analyst to embezzle funds while serving as the Director of the Protocol Office.
Prosecutors reported that she wrote 60 checks in her own name and three checks to an associate with whom she had a personal connection. Each check was printed, signed, and subsequently deposited into her personal bank account.
The total amount stolen was documented as $657,347.50.
Ferrer, who is also known as Levita Brezovic, attempted to conceal the scheme by manipulating her records in QuickBooks. She frequently altered the names of check recipients from herself to legitimate vendors associated with the State Department, making it challenging for others to trace the funds back to her.
She pleaded guilty to the charge of theft of government property on Wednesday and is awaiting sentencing scheduled for September 18th. There’s a possibility she could face up to a decade in prison.
In an agreement with the court, Ferrer has committed to reimbursing the stolen amount to the U.S. government and will also be liable for an equivalent forfeiture.
