An illegal alien has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse in April of last year.
On Wednesday, United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the sentencing of 50-year-old illegal alien Mario Bustamante Leiva of Chile. Leiva, in November of last year, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft.
Following his three-year prison sentence, Leiva will be deported to his native Chile.
“Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District,” Pirro said in a statement. “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 on surveillance cameras carrying Noem’s Gucci purse and her wallet. (Photo via the Department of Justice)
Leiva’s co-defendant, 52-year-old illegal alien Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana of Chile, was sentenced to 13 months in prison last month.
Prosecutors said that on April 20, Leiva and Montecino-Sanzana carried out a coordinated theft at Capital Burger, targeting Noem, whom they did not realize was the sitting DHS secretary. Surveillance cameras caught Leiva snatching Noem’s Gucci purse, which contained credit cards and about $3,000 in cash.
Leiva, following the theft, went to another restaurant where he was seen carrying Noem’s Gucci purse and using her credit cards to make unauthorized purchases.
In August 2021, Leiva entered the U.S. visa-free through Orlando International Airport in Florida thanks to the federal government’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP) which allows nationals of certain countries to enter the U.S. without first having to obtain a visa.
Leiva was supposed to depart the U.S. by Nov. 13, 2021, but did not, making him an illegal alien. At the time of the theft, he had active warrants for his arrest in Utah and New York related to retail theft, credit card theft, and stolen property.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected].
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