The Chilean national accused of stealing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse earlier this year pleaded guilty last week to charges of wire fraud, aiding and abetting and first-degree theft, and he may now be subject to deportation.
The suspect, identified as Mario Bustamante Leiva, allegedly committed several thefts across Washington, D.C., according to a federal court filing. The documents note that he would “target diners at restaurants in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, stealthily steal their purses, and make fraudulent purchases using the diner’s stolen credit cards.”
The documents state that Noem had been dining at Capital Burger in the nation’s capital when Bustamante Leiva “stealthily seized” her purse. The bag contained $3,000 in cash, her DHS access badge, her passport, her driver’s license, blank checks, her keys and several credit cards.
Previous charging documents indicate that Bustamante Leiva took a bus from Chinatown to Georgetown, where he proceeded to spend about $200 using Noem’s credit cards at Angolo Ristorante Italiano.
He also reportedly remained at the bar until roughly midnight, when he exited and fell asleep for about seven hours at an outdoor table.
