In a stunning case that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, a veteran State Department budget analyst has admitted to orchestrating a sophisticated embezzlement scheme that siphoned more than $650,000 from government coffers over a two-year period. Levita Almuete Ferrer, a 64-year-old Maryland resident who served as a senior budget analyst in the department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol during the Biden administration, pleaded guilty to theft of government property, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.

Before pleading guilty to theft of government property, Ferrer had built a career as a budget specialist within the federal government. According to court records and professional profiles, the 64-year-old Maryland resident had risen to the position of senior budget analyst, a role that typically requires extensive experience and financial expertise.

Having entered her guilty plea on Wednesday, Ferrer now awaits sentencing, which is scheduled for September 18. The theft of government property charge carries serious potential consequences—she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.