Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Theft from DHS Secretary

In a recent case, an undocumented immigrant, Mario Bustamante Leyva, has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing the wallet of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last April.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the sentence on Wednesday. Leyva, 50, originally from Chile, pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft.

After completing his prison term, Leyva will be deported back to Chile.

“Bustamante Leyva illegally came to Washington with the intent to exploit local residents,” Pirro stated. “He systematically targeted women at restaurants, swiped their wallets, and quickly used their stolen cards. His spree of theft ends here. He will serve his time and then be deported.”

Leyva had a co-defendant, Cristian Rodrigo Montesino-Sanzana, 52, who also faced charges. Montesino-Sanzana received a 13-month prison sentence last month.

Prosecutors noted that on April 20, Leyva and Montesino-Sanzana executed a coordinated theft at Capital Burger, specifically targeting Noem. Surveillance footage captured Leyva taking Noem’s Gucci wallet, which held credit cards and around $3,000 in cash.

Following the theft, Leyva was spotted at another restaurant, where he used Noem’s credit card for fraudulent purchases.

Leyva entered the United States without a visa through Orlando International Airport in Florida in August 2021, utilizing the Visa Waiver Program, which permits residents of certain countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa.

Although he was supposed to leave the U.S. by November 13, 2021, he did not comply and subsequently became an undocumented immigrant. At the time of the theft, Leyva had outstanding warrants for his arrest in Utah and New York for various theft-related offenses.