Arrests made in theft of Kristi Noem's purse and thousands in cash at Washington DC restaurant
Share this @internewscast.com

Two arrests have been made in the theft of a high-end Gucci bag belonging to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

The primary suspect was arrested in Washington, DC, and is in custody, according to the US Secret Service. USSS said in a Sunday evening news release it made a second arrest in Miami in connection with the theft. The agency said that person “is believed to be a co-conspirator” with the primary defendant.

The arrests came after the US Secret Service launched an investigation to find the perpetrator who stole her bag as she ate dinner with her family on Easter Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service initially declined to comment on the arrest, but in a statement to CNN Sunday, Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said the primary “the defendant is a serial offender.”

“We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud,” McCool said.

Multiple additional arrests are expected in a theft ring which recently targeted Washington, DC’s Penn Quarter area, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Noem thanked the Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a post on X on Sunday and described the primary suspect as a “career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.”

“Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that’s why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets,” Noem wrote.

As CNN previously reported, surveillance footage of the incident at The Capital Burger restaurant in Washington, DC, showed the suspect purposefully moving close to Noem as he zeroed in on her Gucci bag near her feet, a second law enforcement source said.

The thief, dressed in dark clothing, sat down at an empty table next to Noem with his back facing her and used his left foot to slide the bag away, the source said. He surveyed the restaurant before eventually picking up the bag, covering it with his jacket and leaving.

Only when Noem got up from the table did she realize her bag was missing, the source said.

Items inside the bag included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash, multiple sources said.

CNN reached out to The Capital Burger’s parent company, Darden Restaurants, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The Secret Service was inside the restaurant with Noem, who was dining at a table with her family, according to a source familiar. The source didn’t specify how many agents accompanied Noem or where they were inside the restaurant.

Commenting on the large sum of cash Noem was carrying immediately following the incident, a DHS spokesperson said: “Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”

Law enforcement experts have raised concerns about whether the incident, which involved a thief getting so close to a Cabinet official and then absconding with her belongings, may have been a lapse in security.

Secret Service “will maintain jurisdiction over the case and intends to present its findings to a federal court in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia,” McCool said.

The CNN Wire & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins killed in UK prison

Former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins found dead in UK prison

Watkins was serving a 29-year prison sentence at HMP Wakefield in England.…
IRS announces tax changes for 2026

The IRS Unveils New Tax Regulations for 2026

The adjustments will apply to tax returns filed in 2027. WASHINGTON —…
Trump directs Hegseth to use 'all available funds' to pay military workers amid shutdown

Trump Instructs Hegseth to Utilize ‘All Available Resources’ to Compensate Military Personnel During Government Shutdown

On Saturday, President Trump instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to allocate all…
Grand jury refusing to indict protesters arrested at Broadview ICE facility influences ruling to bar National Guard deployments

Grand Jury’s Decision Not to Indict Broadview ICE Facility Protesters Affects National Guard Deployment Ruling

BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — A grand jury’s decision not to indict protesters…
Helicopter crash in Southern California leaves at least 5 people hospitalized

At least 5 Injured in Southern California Helicopter Crash

A helicopter crash in Huntington Beach, California, on Saturday has left five…
Fractured Media Award Nominations: Supporting Crime, Opposing Health, and Mourning a Dog Before Charlie

Nominations Announced for Fractured Media Awards: Crime Denials, AI Positivity, and Unusual Trials

It’s time again to highlight some of the year’s most notorious examples…
MIT rejects Trump admin funding compact, citing free expression concerns

MIT Declines Funding Agreement from Trump Administration Due to Concerns Over Free Speech

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) became the first university to reject…
Two jurors claim they were bullied into convicting Harvey Weinstein and regret it, his lawyers say

Two Jurors Allegedly Coerced into Convicting Harvey Weinstein, Now Express Regret, Say His Lawyers

In New York, two jurors involved in the June conviction of Harvey…
Mississippi homecoming turns deadly: 4 killed, 12 injured in downtown Leland shooting

Tragic Turn at Mississippi Homecoming: Downtown Leland Shooting Leaves 4 Dead and 12 Injured

In downtown Leland, Mississippi, a tragic incident during the Leland High School…
Passenger says Uber driver accused in Palisades Fire was ‘nut job’ who ranted about Trump

Rider describes Uber driver involved in Palisades Fire as unstable, claims driver went on Trump rant

A passenger who shared a ride with the man accused of igniting…
Luigi Mangione's attorneys say death-eligible charge must be dismissed

Luigi Mangione’s Lawyers Argue for Dismissal of Death Penalty Charge

Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione, accused of murder, are requesting the dismissal…
Mississippi school homecoming celebrations turn deadly as 8 people are killed in separate shootings

Tragic Outcome: Eight Die in Separate Shootings During Mississippi Homecoming Celebrations

LELAND, Miss. (AP) — High school homecoming events in Mississippi ended tragically…