Mario Bustamante Leiva, a 49-year-old Chilean national, has been arrested in Washington, D.C., on charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery linked to three purse snatchings and unauthorized use of credit cards. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. announced the charges alongside U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith.
Bustamante Leiva's initial appearance in U.S. District Court is pending. He appeared in Superior Court on an unrelated warrant, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued an immigration detainer against him.
Court documents outline three incidents: on April 12, 2025, a purse theft occurred at Nando's restaurant, leading to over $500 in unauthorized transactions; on April 17, at the Westin Hotel, another theft resulted in more than $400 in unauthorized charges; and on April 20, at Capital Burger, the third victim reported theft, with transactions exceeding $200 and additional losses of cash and documents.
U.S. Attorney Martin stated, “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. He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Secret Service’s Matt McCool acknowledged the investigative work, saying, “We began this investigation with only a grainy security video of a masked offender. The subsequent arrests in this case are a testament to the extraordinary investigative work by the analysts and special agents of the Washington Field Office, the USSS Uniformed Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department."
The investigation revealed that Bustamante Leiva had reported a robbery to Montgomery County Police on April 19, 2025. He claimed a bag with his belongings was stolen while he slept. On April 26, he was located by law enforcement at his residence and arrested.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and MPD, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand handling prosecution.
