Levita Almuete Ferrer, a 64-year-old Maryland resident and former senior budget analyst in the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol, pleaded guilty to embezzling $657,347.50 from the agency between March 2022 and April 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., announced.
Ferrer abused her signature authority over a State Department checking account, writing 60 checks to herself and three to an individual with whom she had a personal relationship, prosecutors said. She printed, signed, and deposited all 63 checks into her personal accounts.
To conceal her actions, Ferrer, also known as Levita Brezovic, manipulated a Quickbooks account. “She would enter her name as the payee on checks in Quickbooks and print them,” prosecutors said, noting she often altered the payee in Quickbooks to a legitimate State Department vendor afterward, obscuring her role as the recipient.
Ferrer pleaded guilty to theft of government property on Wednesday and faces up to 10 years in prison at her sentencing on September 18. Under her plea deal, she must pay full restitution and a forfeiture money judgment equal to the stolen amount.
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
