Overview
- Mario Bustamante Leiva, 50, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden.
- Prosecutors say he stole then–Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci purse with credit cards and about $3,000 on April 20, 2025, while she ate with her family at Capital Burger under Secret Service protection.
- Security footage showed him stalking the bag and later using Noem’s cards, and police recovered the purse from his motel room; he pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft.
- He will be deported after his term, and prosecutors say he overstayed a 2021 Visa Waiver entry and had outstanding theft-related warrants in Utah and New York.
- Co-defendant Cristian Montecino-Sanzana received a 13-month sentence in March and also faces removal, as the case fuels debate over official protection and immigration enforcement in the nation’s capital.