Superseding Charges Filed in Noem Purse Theft Case

A federal grand jury has returned superseding charges against two men charged in the theft of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's handbag and other purses from diners in Washington, D.C.

The two men, Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, and Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana, 51, both Chilean natives, have been indicted on charges of wire theft, aggravated identity theft, and robbery in connection with the purse snatching in April, according to documentation filed from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Thursday.

Both men are reportedly in the United States illegally, the Department of Justice reported shortly after they were caught in connection with the theft of Noem's purse while she was dining with her family at a D.C. restaurant on Easter Sunday.

Noem had several sensitive personal items in her purse, including her DHS access badge, driver's license, passports, checks, credit cards, and about $3,000 in cash, according to law enforcement officials. Her cell phone was not in the bag.

Bustamante-Leiva was caught on camera minutes later at the nearby Angolo Ristorante Italiano restaurant, allegedly running up a bill for food and alcohol on Noem's American Express card, reports The New York Post.

Montecino-Sanzana was arrested at a Walgreens in Miami Beach, the Secret Service has confirmed.

According to the indictments, the two men had allegedly devised a scheme to steal purses and then to make "fraudulent purchases" using the diners' credit cards, including for pre-paid gift cards that were then used to buy merchandise and services.

The indictments list the theft of Noem's purse, as well as other victims' handbags. In Noem's case, her credit card was not used in any other purchases beyond the purchases made at the nearby restaurant, the indictment indicates.

In the other cases, however, the suspects are accused of purchasing gift cards valued at $500 and under and using them for hotel stays and other purposes, the indictment finds.

The indictment calls for the two men, upon conviction, to forfeit property or funds derived from the proceeds of the incidents to the government.

According to court filings, Leiva said he was an alcoholic and admitted to stealing Noem’s purse, reports CNN.

He told investigators he had no prior knowledge of who Noem was, and identified himself from a news story of a series of thefts in London in 2014.