A former budget analyst for the U.S. State Department, who
served in President Joe Biden's administration, admitted to federal authorities
that she misappropriated more than $650,000 in public funds over a period of
approximately two years, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., announced.
The defendant, identified as Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64,
accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to improperly using her authority to
sign and manage transactions on an official State Department bank account.
According to court documents, Ferrer abused her privileged
access to the State Department's checking account between March 2022 and April
2024 to make transfers and misappropriate funds that did not belong to her.
A resident of Maryland, the former official served as a
senior budget analyst in the Office of the Chief of Protocol, a position that
allowed her to oversee and manage financial allocations, as well as authorize
certain payments—powers she ultimately used for personal gain.
Federal authorities stated that the case is part of efforts
to strengthen oversight and accountability mechanisms within government
agencies and warned that appropriate sanctions will be applied in accordance
with the law.
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