The illegal immigrant accused of stealing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s luxury handbag has pleaded guilty, a move that is expected to lead to his deportation once he serves his sentence, according to new court records.
Fox News reported that Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, was charged in connection with a series of thefts across Washington, D.C., carried out between April 12 and April 20.
Prosecutors say the Chilean national targeted restaurant patrons, quietly taking bags from the backs of chairs before slipping away. After each theft, investigators allege he used stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases.
One of the victims was Noem, who was dining with her family on Easter when her Gucci handbag disappeared from beside her table at The Capital Burger.
The bag contained $3,000 in cash, along with her driver’s license, passport, medication, makeup bag, blank checks, DHS badge, apartment keys, and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet.
Security footage later showed a white man wearing an N95 mask, dark pants, and a baseball cap picking up the bag and walking out of the restaurant.
Bustamante-Leiva agreed Friday to plead guilty to wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and first-degree theft. In court documents, he acknowledged that he is “removable from the United States upon the completion of the sentence imposed in this case.”
The charges carry significant penalties. Wire fraud alone could result in up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
First-degree theft carries an additional potential 10-year sentence and a fine of up to $25,000. Sentencing guidelines also include a recommended fine of up to $9,500, forfeitures totaling $3,174, and restitution that will be determined by the judge.
Federal authorities also noted Bustamante-Leiva’s criminal history abroad. He has eight prior convictions and has served seven separate jail terms in both Chile and the United Kingdom.
He was arrested on April 26 by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service following the string of restaurant thefts.
With his guilty plea now entered, Bustamante-Leiva faces a lengthy prison term — and, according to court filings, removal from the country once that sentence is complete.
