The Biden administration’s State Department is facing serious questions about internal oversight and financial controls after a shocking case of embezzlement has come to light. A senior official who held a position of significant trust within the department’s financial operations has admitted to orchestrating an elaborate scheme that went undetected for years, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in one of America’s most critical government agencies.
The case has sent ripples through diplomatic circles and prompted calls for enhanced scrutiny of financial procedures across federal agencies. With national security implications and questions about institutional integrity at stake, this incident represents one of the most significant financial scandals to emerge from the State Department in recent years.
The Scope of the Deception
Levita Almuete Ferrer, a 64-year-old Maryland resident who served as a senior budget analyst in the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 from the federal government. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., announced the guilty plea, revealing the extensive nature of a fraud scheme that operated for nearly two years without detection.
The embezzlement occurred between March 2022 and April 2024, during a period when the State Department was managing complex international relationships and significant budgetary pressures. Ferrer’s position gave her signature authority over a State Department checking account, a responsibility that she systematically abused for personal gain.
The scale of the operation was staggering. Prosecutors revealed that Ferrer wrote 60 checks to herself and an additional three checks to an individual with whom she maintained a personal relationship. Each of these 63 checks was carefully printed and signed by Ferrer herself before being deposited into her personal bank accounts. The total amount stolen reached $657,347.50, representing a significant breach of public trust and a substantial loss to taxpayers.
A Sophisticated Cover-Up Operation
What makes this case particularly troubling is the sophisticated nature of Ferrer’s deception. Rather than simply writing checks and hoping to avoid detection, she implemented a carefully planned cover-up strategy designed to fool oversight systems and human reviewers alike.
Ferrer, who also went by the name Levita Brezovic, utilized the State Department’s QuickBooks accounting system as the centerpiece of her deception. Her method was both simple and effective: she would enter her own name as the payee in the QuickBooks system, then print the corresponding checks. After printing these checks and ensuring they cleared her personal accounts, she would return to the QuickBooks system and alter the payee information.
This crucial step involved changing the payee from her own name to that of a legitimate State Department vendor. This tactic created a paper trail that appeared entirely normal to anyone reviewing the system after the fact. The checks had been issued, the funds had been dispersed, and the records showed payments to authorized vendors – everything appeared routine unless someone conducted a deeper investigation comparing the actual physical checks to the digital records.
This level of sophistication suggests that Ferrer had intimate knowledge of the department’s financial oversight procedures and specifically designed her scheme to exploit weaknesses in the system. The fact that she was able to maintain this deception for nearly two years indicates either inadequate internal controls or insufficient oversight of financial transactions.
The Office of the Chief of Protocol: A Critical Role
Ferrer’s position within the Office of the Chief of Protocol placed her at the heart of diplomatic operations that often involve significant financial transactions. The Chief of Protocol’s office is responsible for managing diplomatic events, state visits, and ceremonial functions that require careful coordination and substantial resources.
This office regularly handles payments to vendors for everything from catering services for diplomatic receptions to security arrangements for visiting dignitaries. The nature of these operations requires quick decisions and streamlined financial processes, which may have created the environment that Ferrer was able to exploit.
Senior budget analysts in this office typically manage multiple accounts and have the authority to approve various types of expenditures. The trust placed in these positions is substantial, as they often operate with minimal day-to-day oversight due to the sensitive and time-critical nature of diplomatic operations.
Legal Consequences and Financial Impact
Ferrer entered her guilty plea on Wednesday to charges of theft of government property, acknowledging the full extent of her criminal conduct. She is scheduled to face sentencing on September 18, where she could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The financial implications extend beyond just the stolen funds. As part of her plea agreement, Ferrer has agreed to repay the full $657,347.50 in restitution to the U.S. government. Additionally, she faces a forfeiture money judgment for the same amount, ensuring that the government can pursue recovery of the stolen funds through various legal mechanisms.
The restitution requirement represents just the beginning of the financial recovery process. The investigation itself likely cost significant resources, and the State Department will need to implement new oversight procedures and potentially conduct audits of other financial processes to prevent similar incidents.
Broader Implications for State Department Security
This incident occurs against a backdrop of other troubling events within the State Department that raise questions about institutional oversight and employee conduct. The financial fraud case is particularly concerning because it involves someone in a position of trust who had access to sensitive financial systems.
The timing of this case, emerging during a period of significant international tensions and diplomatic challenges, adds another layer of concern. The State Department plays a crucial role in advancing American interests abroad, and any questions about internal integrity can potentially undermine diplomatic effectiveness.
Recent Security Incidents Compound Concerns
The financial fraud case comes on the heels of another troubling incident involving State Department personnel. Earlier this year, a bodyguard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s security detail was arrested in Brussels after what was described as “erratic behavior” at a hotel.
The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent became involved in an altercation at the Hotel Amigo when hotel employees refused to reopen the bar after hours. The situation escalated when the agent became physically hostile toward hotel staff, including the night manager, who attempted to encourage him to return to his room.
Local police were called to intervene, leading to a physical confrontation with the DSS agent and ultimately his arrest. The agent was later released following intervention by the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, but the incident raised serious questions about the stress levels and working conditions of diplomatic security personnel.
Systemic Issues Within Diplomatic Security
Sources within the State Department have revealed concerning details about the working conditions that may have contributed to the Brussels incident. According to insiders, shift supervisors on high-level security details like Secretary Rubio’s face “incomprehensible workloads” that include managing all agents under their supervision, handling scheduling and evaluations, and completing extensive administrative work while also performing actual security duties.
One source told the Washington Examiner that these supervisors routinely work six to seven days per week, creating unsustainable stress levels. “I truly believe this was the result of incomprehensible strain [the agent] was placed under,” the source explained, calling for a fair evaluation of the circumstances.
This revelation suggests that the State Department may be facing broader institutional challenges related to personnel management and resource allocation. The combination of financial fraud and security incidents points to potential systemic issues that extend beyond individual misconduct.
The Rubio Factor and Administrative Changes
These incidents occur as Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emerged as one of President Trump’s most trusted cabinet members. In addition to leading the State Department, Trump has expanded Rubio’s responsibilities to include serving as interim national security adviser, acting administrator for USAID, and acting archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration.
This consolidation of authority under Rubio’s leadership may provide an opportunity to address the institutional challenges revealed by recent incidents. However, it also places additional pressure on an already complex organization dealing with multiple serious issues.
The State Department’s response to these incidents will likely serve as an early test of Rubio’s leadership and his ability to restore confidence in the department’s operations. The financial fraud case, in particular, requires immediate attention to prevent further losses and restore integrity to financial oversight processes.
Looking Forward: Reforms and Accountability
The guilty plea from Ferrer represents just the beginning of what will likely be a comprehensive review of State Department financial procedures. The sophistication of her scheme suggests that current oversight mechanisms are insufficient to detect and prevent similar fraud.
Potential reforms might include enhanced segregation of duties in financial operations, more frequent audits of high-risk accounts, and improved technological solutions for detecting unusual transaction patterns. The department may also need to review the authority levels granted to individual employees and implement additional approval requirements for certain types of transactions.
The broader implications of this case extend beyond just financial controls. Questions about institutional culture, oversight effectiveness, and personnel management will likely require sustained attention from department leadership.
As the State Department continues to play a critical role in advancing American diplomatic interests around the world, these internal challenges must be addressed quickly and comprehensively. The American people deserve confidence that their diplomatic corps operates with the highest levels of integrity and effectiveness, and recent events have clearly demonstrated areas where significant improvements are needed.
The sentencing of Levita Ferrer in September will mark the conclusion of this particular case, but the work of rebuilding trust and implementing necessary reforms will likely continue for months or years to come. The ultimate success of these efforts will depend on the willingness of department leadership to acknowledge problems, implement meaningful changes, and maintain ongoing vigilance against future misconduct.
Adrian Hawthorne is a celebrated author and dedicated archivist who finds inspiration in the hidden stories of the past. Educated at Oxford, he now works at the National Archives, where preserving history fuels his evocative writing. Balancing archival precision with creative storytelling, Adrian founded the Hawthorne Institute of Literary Arts to mentor emerging writers and honor the timeless art of narrative.