Serial thief who stole Kristi Noem's handbag sentenced to three years in prison
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Mario Bustamante Leiva, a serial thief, has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing a handbag from former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, which contained $3,000 in cash and personal items.
- The theft occurred last April while Noem was dining with her family in Washington DC, and Bustamante Leiva was unaware he had targeted a cabinet secretary.
- Bustamante Leiva, a 50-year-old Chilean national, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and first-degree theft charges and faces deportation after serving his sentence.
- Authorities identified him through a gift card purchase made with a stolen credit card, and he often concealed his pickpocketing by draping a coat over his arm.
- US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that Bustamante Leiva preyed on local citizens illegally and emphasized that his pattern of theft has now ended.
