DINNER AND A HEIST

ICE Barbie’s Purse Snatcher Learns Fate for Grabbing Her Gucci

The Chilean national will face deportation following the completion of his sentence.

The thief who swiped former Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem’s Gucci purse has been sentenced to 36 months in prison. Mario Bustamante Leiva, 50, was prosecuted in connection to a string of thefts across Washington, D.C., in April 2025—including the high-profile moment he lifted Noem’s bag while she dined with family at Capital Burger. He pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft. According to court documents, Leiva was captured on surveillance video positioning himself near Noem before snatching the purse, which contained $3,000 in cash along with multiple credit cards. Authorities say the Noem incident was just one stop in a broader spree, with surveillance footage showing him targeting women at restaurants across the city—lifting purses and quickly racking up charges on the stolen cards within minutes of each theft. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the Chilean national who overstayed his visa in 2021 will be deported after completing his sentence.