Chilean National Pleads Guilty
A Chilean national has pleaded guilty to stealing the purse of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, facing potential deportation as a result.
Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 50, was convicted on Friday for the theft that occurred on Easter Sunday when he took Ms. Noem’s Gucci handbag at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C., according to federal court records.
Bustamante-Leiva admitted to a series of purse thefts between April 12 and April 20. He could face up to 30 years in prison for charges including first-degree theft, wire fraud, and aiding and abetting.
In his plea agreement, Bustamante-Leiva acknowledged that he might be deported after serving his sentence, which has not yet been determined. Surveillance footage captured him stealing Ms. Noem’s purse while she dined with her family at Capital Burger.
The charging documents revealed that he wore an N95 mask and carefully moved his chair closer to Ms. Noem’s table before taking the designer bag and concealing it in his jacket.
Investigators reported that he made off with $3,000 in cash, a Department of Homeland Security badge, a makeup bag, and a Louis Vuitton wallet from Ms. Noem’s purse.
Bustamante-Leiva left the restaurant, discarded Ms. Noem’s driver’s license, and treated himself to a meal at an Italian restaurant in Georgetown. Prosecutors stated he used her credit card to pay for over $200 worth of food and drinks; surveillance cameras captured him using her belongings.
He was arrested on April 26 after authorities tracked his purchases made with the stolen credit cards around town. Court documents indicated that he had previously snatched two other purses leading up to the incident at Capital Burger.
On April 12, Bustamante-Leiva and an accomplice stole a woman’s purse at Nando’s near the National Portrait Gallery. The victim was visiting from Spain and lost her passport along with over 450 euros during the theft.
The two thieves reportedly purchased a $500 Visa gift card using the victim’s credit card and spent it at local motels and hotels.
Bustamante-Leiva committed another theft on April 17 by stealing a purse from a tourist at a downtown hotel. Authorities noted that he used the Massachusetts woman’s credit cards for personal purchases including wine and an American Express gift card.
The plea agreement disclosed that Bustamante-Leiva has prior prison experience abroad; he served three years in Chile for robbery in 1995 and faced multiple incarcerations in the United Kingdom between 2013 and 2017 for various offenses including thefts and attempted burglary.
