Latest news with #Leiva
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal charges filed against alleged Kristi Noem purse thief
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against the man accused of stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse, including thousands of dollars she had in cash, earlier this month at The Capital Burger restaurant in Washington, DC. The man, Mario Bustamante Leiva, has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery. Leiva also appeared in DC's Superior Court Monday on a fugitive warrant unrelated to the robbery. According to a statement by prosecutors Monday, Leiva is a Chilean national and resides in the US unlawfully. No lawyer is listed for Leiva and no date has been set for an arraignment. In federal court documents, prosecutors allege that in the past several weeks Leiva had stolen two other purses from victims around DC and that Leiva, who was unhoused before his arrest, reported recently that he was the victim of a robbery himself. 'Thanks to the efforts of the Secret Service working in concert with the Metropolitan Police Department, this alleged thief was quickly identified, arrested, and, with the deft management of the Assistant US Attorney, charged,' US Attorney Edward Martin said in the statement. 'He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Prosecutors say that Leiva used his leg to push Noem's purse – located on the ground – closer to him before bending down with his jacket in one hand, to take the purse in his other hand. After tossing out Noem's driver's license following the theft, Leiva went to a bar and used the secretary's credit card to buy alcohol and food. Leiva was arrested on Saturday after investigators tracked purchases made from allegedly stolen credit cards to a motel room in DC. Missing in Monday's court filings were details of how Noem, a protectee of the Secret Service, was so easily made the victim of a public theft. According to one law enforcement source, Noem noticed her purse was missing after getting up from her table. The secretary then notified her Secret Service detail – which was inside the restaurant with Noem, according to the source – of the theft, court documents say. The stolen bag carried a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks and about $3,000 in cash, multiple sources previously told CNN. In interviews with investigators, according to court filings, Leiva said he was an alcoholic and admitted to stealing Noem's purse, according to court documents, and detailed how he used his feet to scoot the purse closer to him. Leiva told investigators he had no prior knowledge of who Noem was. Leiva also identified himself from a news story of a series of thefts in London in 2014. Investigators recovered over $3,000 along with Noem's purse and wallet and a 5 Euro note from the motel room where Leiva was allegedly staying. This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Federal charges filed against alleged Kristi Noem purse thief
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against the man accused of stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse, including thousands of dollars she had in cash, earlier this month at The Capital Burger restaurant in Washington, DC. The man, Mario Bustamante Leiva, has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery. Leiva also appeared in DC's Superior Court Monday on a fugitive warrant unrelated to the robbery. According to a statement by prosecutors Monday, Leiva is a Chilean national and resides in the US unlawfully. No lawyer is listed for Leiva and no date has been set for an arraignment. In federal court documents, prosecutors allege that in the past several weeks Leiva had stolen two other purses from victims around DC and that Leiva, who was unhoused before his arrest, reported recently that he was the victim of a robbery himself. 'Thanks to the efforts of the Secret Service working in concert with the Metropolitan Police Department, this alleged thief was quickly identified, arrested, and, with the deft management of the Assistant US Attorney, charged,' US Attorney Edward Martin said in the statement. 'He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Prosecutors say that Leiva used his leg to push Noem's purse – located on the ground – closer to him before bending down with his jacket in one hand, to take the purse in his other hand. After tossing out Noem's driver's license following the theft, Leiva went to a bar and used the secretary's credit card to buy alcohol and food. Leiva was arrested on Saturday after investigators tracked purchases made from allegedly stolen credit cards to a motel room in DC. Missing in Monday's court filings were details of how Noem, a protectee of the Secret Service, was so easily made the victim of a public theft. According to one law enforcement source, Noem noticed her purse was missing after getting up from her table. The secretary then notified her Secret Service detail – which was inside the restaurant with Noem, according to the source – of the theft, court documents say. The stolen bag carried a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks and about $3,000 in cash, multiple sources previously told CNN. In interviews with investigators, according to court filings, Leiva said he was an alcoholic and admitted to stealing Noem's purse, according to court documents, and detailed how he used his feet to scoot the purse closer to him. Leiva told investigators he had no prior knowledge of who Noem was. Leiva also identified himself from a news story of a series of thefts in London in 2014. Investigators recovered over $3,000 along with Noem's purse and wallet and a 5 Euro note from the motel room where Leiva was allegedly staying. This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Federal charges filed against alleged Kristi Noem purse thief
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against the man accused of stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse, including thousands of dollars she had in cash, earlier this month at The Capital Burger restaurant in Washington, DC. The man, Mario Bustamante Leiva, has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery. Leiva also appeared in DC's Superior Court Monday on a fugitive warrant unrelated to the robbery. According to a statement by prosecutors Monday, Leiva is a Chilean national and resides in the US unlawfully. No lawyer is listed for Leiva and no date has been set for an arraignment. In federal court documents, prosecutors allege that in the past several weeks Leiva had stolen two other purses from victims around DC and that Leiva, who was unhoused before his arrest, reported recently that he was the victim of a robbery himself. 'Thanks to the efforts of the Secret Service working in concert with the Metropolitan Police Department, this alleged thief was quickly identified, arrested, and, with the deft management of the Assistant US Attorney, charged,' US Attorney Edward Martin said in the statement. 'He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Prosecutors say that Leiva used his leg to push Noem's purse – located on the ground – closer to him before bending down with his jacket in one hand, to take the purse in his other hand. After tossing out Noem's driver's license following the theft, Leiva went to a bar and used the secretary's credit card to buy alcohol and food. Leiva was arrested on Saturday after investigators tracked purchases made from allegedly stolen credit cards to a motel room in DC. In interviews with investigators, according to court filings, Leiva said he was an alcoholic and admitted to stealing Noem's purse, according to court documents, and detailed how he used his feet to scoot the purse closer to him. Leiva told investigators he had no prior knowledge of who Noem was. Leiva also identified himself from a news story of a series of thefts in London in 2014. Investigators recovered over $3,000 along with Noem's purse and wallet and a 5 Euro note from the motel room where Leiva was allegedly staying.
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Illegal immigrant Mario Bustamante Leiva arrested for stealing US Homeland Secy Kristi Noem's Gucci purse: who is he?
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, on Sunday, April 27, arrested Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, in connection with the theft of a handbag belonging to Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The incident occurred on April 20 while Noem was dining with her family at the Capital Burger during an Easter outing. According to authorities, the stolen bag contained approximately $3,000 (Rs 2,47,500) in cash along with several sensitive personal items, including her passport, driver's licence, apartment keys, and DHS badge, the New York Post reported. The Metropolitan Police Department stated that the suspect was linked to two additional purse thefts at Washington restaurants earlier this month, based on video evidence, following which he was charged in connection with those incidents. Noem expressed her gratitude to the Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a post on X on Sunday, calling the primary suspect a 'career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.' 'This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years. Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that's why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets,' she wrote in her post. Thank you to @SecretService @ICEgov and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant. This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country… — Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) April 27, 2025 'On Saturday, April 26, 2025, members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service located and arrested 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva,' the police department told Newsweek. 'Leiva was charged with two counts of Robbery (Stealth) and faces additional charges for an ongoing investigation by the United States Secret Service.' Leiva, who resides in the US illegally, is suspected of being part of a large East Coast robbery network. He was arrested in 2015 for a five-month crime spree in London, where he stole nearly $28,000 worth of phones, wallets, and computers, as reported by The Daily Mail. Meanwhile, a second suspect, also an undocumented immigrant, was arrested in Miami. This individual is currently being detained under a deportation notice while charges are being processed. Leiva and the other suspect are believed to have worked together to carry out similar robbery operations across the US.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Mario Bustamante Leiva? All we know about illegal immigrant accused of stealing Kristi Noem's purse
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., announced on Sunday, April 27, that a 49-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection to the theft of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem's bag. Mario Bustamante Leiva is a Chilean national who was previously busted for a similar scheme in London, law enforcement sources told the New York Post. Noem's purse had $3,000 in cash, her driver's license, passport, DHS badge and apartment keys when it was stolen on April 20. At the time of the theft, Noem was on an Easter outing with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C. A masked man was later seen on surveillance footage grabbing the bag and leaving the restaurant. Leiva was in the US illegally, and is believed to be part of a large East Coast robbery organisation. He was previously arrested in 2015 for a five-month robbery spree in London. At the time, he made off with nearly 28,000 worth of phones, wallets and computers, according to a report from the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, police later arrested a second suspect, who is also an illegal immigrant, in Miami. The person is being held on a deportation notice while charges are being finalised. "On Saturday, April 26, 2025, members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Secret Service located and arrested 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva," the MPD told Newsweek. "Leiva was charged with two counts of Robbery (Stealth). He faces additional charges for an offense being investigated by the United States Secret Service." Leiva and the other suspect reportedly worked together as a pair. They have been involved in similar robbery schemes across the country. Noem has taken to X to address the arrest. 'Thank you to @SecretService @ICEgov and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant,' she wrote. 'This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.' 'Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that's why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets,' Noem added. US Attorney Ed Martin said that the suspects were possibly attracted to Noem's expensive Gucci bag, and did not target her because of her high-profile position. 'It was frankly… a nice looking purse. This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief, that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out,' Martin told NBC News. Martin added that with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement involved in Noem's case, it will be ensured that Leiva and his accomplice never set foot in the country again. 'President Trump's direction to us is we charge these folks that are here illegally and we prosecute them, as well as deport them when need be, you know, as soon as that can happen,' he said. 'What I can tell you is he won't be back on the streets of America.' Meanwhile, Secret Service Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool told Newsweek, "Following a comprehensive investigation, the Secret Service alleges that the defendant is a serial offender. We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security." "The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud. Given this, the Secret Service will maintain jurisdiction over the case and intends to present its findings to a federal court in coordination with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia,' McCool added.
