Two people arrested in connection with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's stolen purse are in the United States illegally and may be connected to a larger theft ring.
The first man arrested for the crime — which occurred when Noem was dining in Washington, D.C. — is Mario Bustamante-Leiva, who is originally from Chile. Before Leiva's name was reported, D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin told the media the suspect was in the U.S. illegally.
This is not the first time Leiva has been arrested for stealing items in restaurants. The Daily Mail reported in 2015 that Leiva was charged in London, England, for stealing almost $30,000 worth of phones, laptops, and wallets over the course of several months in 2014.
"You are dishonest to your fingertips. Over a five-month period, you committed a series of thefts from the public, over that long period, to a total of some £21,000. ... I have no alternative but to order that you be sent to prison," the judge said when he sentenced Leiva.
