Mario Bustamante Leiva, a 50-year-old Chilean national living illegally in the United States, was sentenced on Apr. 22 to 36 months in prison for wire fraud and first-degree theft, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The sentencing follows a series of thefts in Washington, D.C., including the high-profile case involving former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about targeted thefts against women at restaurants and the swift use of stolen credit cards for fraudulent purchases. According to court documents, Bustamante Leiva targeted female diners on three separate occasions in April 2025 by surveilling them and stealing their purses containing wallets, credit cards, and personal information.
“Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District. He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses, and monetizing the stolen cards within minutes,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “His pattern of theft ends here. He will serve his prison term and be deported.”
On April 20, 2025, surveillance cameras captured Bustamante Leiva stealing Noem’s purse while she dined with her family at Capital Burger on Seventh Street NW. The purse contained several credit cards and approximately $3,000 in cash. Shortly after the incident, he used one of Noem’s credit cards for an unauthorized purchase at another restaurant.
Law enforcement arrested Bustamante Leiva six days later at a motel where they recovered Noem’s belongings along with other stolen items and over $3,000 in cash from previous offenses. Investigators also found that he had overstayed his visa since November 2021 after entering through Orlando International Airport earlier that year.
Co-defendant Cristian Montecino-Sanzana was previously sentenced in March to over a year in prison for his role in one of the thefts and will also face deportation following his release.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and Metropolitan Police Department.
