Former Biden State Dept. Staffer Pleads Guilty In Fraud Scheme

A former State Department budget analyst who served during the Biden administration has admitted to siphoning hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from the agency, highlighting yet another case of federal mismanagement uncovered as President Donald J. Trump continues his second-term crackdown on government corruption.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., announced that Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 from the U.S. State Department over a two-year period. Ferrer, a Maryland resident, worked as a senior budget analyst in the department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol and abused her signature authority over a State Department checking account between March 2022 and April 2024.

Ferrer was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 months and one day in prison after admitting she used the stolen funds to fuel a gambling addiction. As part of her plea agreement, she has agreed to repay the full amount in restitution and is subject to a forfeiture money judgment equal to the funds she stole.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Ferrer carried out the scheme, writing 60 checks to herself and three additional checks to an individual with whom she had a personal relationship. She personally printed and signed all 63 checks before depositing them into her own bank accounts. The total amount stolen came to $657,347.50, according to prosecutors.

Ferrer, who also used the name Levita Brezovic, attempted to conceal the theft using a QuickBooks account. Prosecutors said she initially entered her own name as the payee, printed the checks, and then altered the records afterward. In many cases, she changed the payee information to reflect legitimate State Department vendors, making it difficult for auditors to identify her as the true recipient.

The guilty plea comes during a busy week for the Trump administration, as federal law enforcement also announced the arrest of a suspect accused of attacking the office of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba in Newark, New Jersey.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the suspect, identified by the FBI as Keith Michael Lisa, 51, was taken into custody less than 48 hours after charges were filed. Lisa, a California native with ties to New York City and Mahwah, New Jersey, was charged with entering a federal building with a dangerous weapon and damaging government property.

“Thanks to the great work of the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and Homeland Security Investigations, the suspect wanted in the attack on U.S. Attorney Habba’s office is now in custody,” Bondi said on X. “No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great U.S. Attorneys or destroying their offices.”

According to the FBI, Lisa entered the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building in Newark on November 12 carrying a baseball bat. “After being denied entry, he discarded the bat and returned,” the bureau said in a statement. “Once inside, he proceeded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office where he damaged government property.”

A federal arrest warrant was issued Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, charging Lisa with possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property.

Bondi said an individual had “attempted to confront” Habba in her office and “destroyed property” before fleeing the scene. Habba was not injured during the incident.

Following the arrest, Habba thanked law enforcement and made clear she would not back down.

“We got him,” she wrote on X. “This Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement. Now justice will handle him.”

Habba had previously stated, “I will not be intimidated by radical lunatics for doing my job.”

FBI Director Kash Patel also praised the rapid coordination among agencies.

“Today’s arrest shows what coordinated federal law enforcement can do,” Patel said. “Threats against our U.S. Attorneys aren’t just attacks on individuals, they’re attacks on the rule of law. And we will respond every time.”

Authorities described Lisa as approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing between 200 and 230 pounds, and noted his prior connections to New York City and Mahwah, New Jersey. Officials said he was considered dangerous before his arrest.

The attack marked a rare direct assault on a federal prosecutor’s office, with investigators confirming the suspect caused “visible damage” inside Habba’s suite. The FBI has not publicly identified a motive.

Bondi warned that the case reflects a disturbing rise in politically motivated threats against federal officials.

“Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period,” she said. “This is unfortunately becoming a trend as radicals continue to attack law enforcement agents around the country.”

Habba, who was sworn in as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in March, previously served as a legal adviser to President Donald J. Trump and was appointed earlier this year by Attorney General Bondi. She now oversees roughly 155 federal prosecutors and 130 staff members across New Jersey, including offices in Newark, Camden, and Trenton.