Serial thief who stole Kristi Noem's handbag sentenced to three years in prison

A Chilean national, Mario Bustamante Leiva, received a three-year prison sentence for stealing multiple handbags in Washington DC, including one belonging to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while she dined at a restaurant with her family. The stolen Gucci bag contained $3,000 in cash along with sensitive items like her passport and DHS credentials, though the thief was unaware of his victim's identity. Authorities traced Bustamante Leiva through a gift card purchase made with a stolen credit card and recovered Noem's belongings from his motel room.