Samuel Brinton, who is a former Biden administration senior Department of Energy official and nonbinary, was released from a Minnesota correctional facility Wednesday without bail despite being charged twice with stealing thousands of dollars of items in women’s baggage.
Brinton, 35, was charged with felony theft after he allegedly stole a woman’s luggage in Minneapolis worth $2,325 near a baggage claim area at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Sept. 16 according to Fox News.
Brinton reportedly removed the ID tag from the blue bag, quickly exited the area, and jumped in an Uber. He was spotted using the luggage several times after allegedly stealing it.
The MIT grad is facing up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for that particular charge. He’s also facing felony grand larceny charges in Las Vegas, Nevada for stealing a bag worth $3,670 at Harry Reid International Airport on June 6, 2022. That piece of luggage contained jewelry estimated to be worth $1,700, clothing worth $850, and makeup valued at $500.
After the Minnesota incident, Las Vegas investigators reopened their probe into the theft. In Nevada, Brinton faces up to 10 years in prison for the alleged deed. In December, he was released there after his bail was set at $15,000. The judge in the case told the former nuclear waste official to “stay out of trouble” according to the New York Post.
Non-binary former Biden admin official Sam Brinton arrives to appear in court today in Minneapolis for stealing a woman's luggage back at MSP back in October. pic.twitter.com/QfDJBJKu41
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) February 15, 2023
Non-binary former Biden admin official Sam Brinton leaving court after appearing before a judge for stealing a woman’s luggage last October.
“Why would you want some lady’s dirty clothes?” pic.twitter.com/RaU17heSHK
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) February 15, 2023
The strange former Biden official was ordered by a judge to not have contact with any of the victims. He was originally scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 19 but the date was moved at the request of his attorneys.
A bystander outside the courthouse where Brinton emerged after being released mercilessly heckled him.
“Did you steal any luggage today?” a man jarringly shouted at him. “What are you wearing?”
BREAKING: Former Biden official Sam Brinton made his first court appearance today in Minneapolis related to his theft of a woman's luggage at MSP Airport. pic.twitter.com/NbBA59j0bm
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) February 15, 2023
The LGBTQ activist ignored the man and quickly walked away getting into a waiting SUV.
Brinton’s reprehensible actions cost him his job overseeing nuclear waste policy at the Department of Energy. He was placed on leave from his government job as the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and was reportedly later fired.
“Sam Brinton is no longer a DOE employee,” an agency spokesperson told Fox News in an interview. “By law, the Department of Energy cannot comment further on personnel matters.”
The flamboyant nonbinary ex-Biden official, who uses they/them pronouns, left the DOE soon after the alleged thefts were reported by the media. An official reason for his leaving the agency was never made public but it came to light during intense pressure by Republicans over his employment status and security clearance. He was the first openly genderfluid individual in federal government leadership.
“The reported details of Sam Brinton’s thievery are bizarre and disturbing,” Representative Jim Banks (R-IN), who is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told Fox News Digital during an interview in December. “Americans deserve transparency about who and what their taxpayer dollars are funding.”