Federal charges filed against alleged Kristi Noem purse thief

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — 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.

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