Mario Bustamante-Leiva, a 49-year-old illegal immigrant, has pleaded guilty to stealing the Gucci handbag of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The stolen bag contained $3,000 in cash, a driver’s license, passport, medication, and other valuables, including a DHS badge. Bustamante-Leiva was arrested in April 2024 following a string of thefts across Washington, D.C., during which he allegedly stole from multiple victims at restaurants, including Noem and her family, during an Easter dinner.
According to court records, Bustamante-Leiva is a Chilean national with a criminal past that includes eight prior convictions abroad and seven separate jail terms in Chile and the United Kingdom. The charges against him include wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and first-degree theft. The sentencing guidelines recommend a fine of up to $9,500, as well as forfeitures of up to $3,174, and potential restitution depending on the judge’s decision. The maximum penalties for these offenses include up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for wire fraud, as well as 10 years and $25,000 in fines for first-degree theft.
Security footage from the scene of the theft shows a white man wearing an N95 mask, dark pants, and a baseball cap grabbing the bag from the floor beside the table where Noem was dining. The Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service were involved in the arrest of Bustamante-Leiva, who was identified through the footage. He is expected to be deported from the United States after completing his sentence, as the court has determined that he is removable from the country. The case has raised concerns about the security of public officials and the effectiveness of law enforcement in preventing such targeted thefts.