US suspect sentenced to three years for stealing Kristi Noem's purse

Mario Bustamante Leiva, a Chilean man, has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing a handbag belonging to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington, DC.

The theft occurred in April 2025 while Noem was dining with her family at a restaurant.

Bustamante Leiva faces deportation after serving his sentence.

The stolen handbag contained approximately $3,000 in cash, several credit cards, and personal documents including Noem's driver's licence, passport, and DHS access badge.

Authorities recovered the bag from Bustamante Leiva's motel room.

Bustamante Leiva pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft.

Prosecutors described him as having come to Washington illegally to prey on citizens, targeting women at restaurants by stealing their purses and quickly using stolen cards for purchases.

The case raised concerns about the effectiveness of Secret Service protection, as agents were guarding Noem on the night of the theft.

The incident has been cited by the Trump administration to justify ongoing National Guard deployments and a military-led crackdown on crime in Washington, DC.

Bustamante Leiva was one of two suspects caught on surveillance cameras stealing purses in April 2025.

His co-defendant, Cristian Montecino-Sanzana, was sentenced to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release and also faces deportation.

The theft involving Noem occurred at Capital Burger restaurant, where surveillance footage showed Bustamante Leiva repeatedly looking at Noem's purse before stealing it.

#MarioBustamanteLeiva #KristiNoem #WashingtonDC #pursetheft #SecretService #NationalGuard