A man who brazenly stole a purse from then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while she was dining at a Washington DC restaurant under the protection of Secret Service agents has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for a series of thefts in the nation's capital.
Details of the High-Profile Theft
Mario Bustamante Leiva, a 50-year-old native of Chile, did not recognize Noem when he snatched her Gucci handbag from the floor of the restaurant where she was eating with her family in April 2025, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The purse contained credit cards and approximately $3,000 in cash, which police later recovered from Leiva's motel room.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden imposed the three-year sentence, after which Leiva faces deportation. He pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft, having been charged and convicted of robbing two other individuals and making fraudulent purchases with their credit cards.
"Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the district," stated Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. "His pattern of theft ends here."
Noem's Response and Additional Suspect
Noem, identified only by her initials in court filings, acknowledged the incident last year, describing Leiva as "a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years."
Investigators identified Leiva as a suspect after he used a stolen gift card to make a purchase. He was charged alongside a second suspect, Cristian Montecino-Sananza, who was sentenced in March to 13 months of incarceration for his role in one of the other thefts.
This case highlights the vulnerabilities even high-profile officials face in public settings, despite protective measures, and underscores ongoing issues with theft and fraud in urban areas.
