Non-binary Biden official used ‘stolen’ suitcase for month after dumping woman’s clothes

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Non-binary Biden official used ‘stolen’ suitcase for month after dumping woman’s clothes​



By
Emily Crane


November 29, 2022 12:49pm
Updated












A non-binary Biden administration nuclear official accused of stealing a woman’s suitcase from the Minneapolis airport allegedly emptied out the clothes and used the bag for a month — despite insisting it was picked up by accident.
Sam Brinton — one of the federal government’s first gender non-binary officials — allegedly snatched the $2,325 Vera Bradley suitcase from baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport back on Sept. 16, court documents say.
When Brinton, who uses they/them pronouns, was confronted by police nearly a month later, they initially denied stealing the bag — insisting their clothes were inside the suitcase at the time.
But Brinton, the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, quickly backtracked and claimed they had taken the piece of luggage by mistake.
Brinton told police they first realized the bag wasn’t theirs when they opened it at the hotel, according to the court filing.




00:00 01:23 Sam BrintonSam Brinton — one of the federal government’s first gender non-binary officials — was charged with felony theft of a moveable property without consent over the alleged stolen suitcase. Sam Brinton/Instagram Sam Brinton with Admiral Rachel LevineBrinton, pictured with transgender Adm. Rachel Levine, allegedly took the $2,325 Vera Bradley suitcase from baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport back on Sept. 16.Sam Brinton/Instagram
They got nervous that someone would think they stole it, so they emptied out the suitcase and dumped the woman’s clothes in the drawers of the hotel room, the court documents say.








Brinton allegedly put the ordeal down to exhaustion.


When police were first alerted to the stolen bag, they reviewed surveillance footage that showed Brinton allegedly grabbing the luggage from the carousel and removing the ID tag identifying the owner.


Brinton was later captured on surveillance using the same suitcase on at least two trips to Washington, DC, on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9, according to authorities.


Police first made contact with Brinton on Oct. 9 about the alleged stolen suitcase.


“If I had taken the wrong bag, I am happy to return it, but I don’t have any clothes for another individual,” Brinton initially told the cop. “That was my clothes when I opened the bag.”


Brinton called the officer back two hours and confessed to not being “completely honest.”


The Biden official was charged with felony theft of a moveable property without consent.

Sam BrintonBrinton initially denied stealing the bag but later backtracked and said they took it by mistake. Sam Brinton/Instagram
They were placed on leave in the wake of the allegations and another official was named as their interim replacement earlier this month, according to the Exchange Monitor, which tracks government officials’ moves.


If convicted, Brinton could face up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
 


Non-binary Biden nuke official Sam Brinton caught on camera stealing woman’s bag​



By
Mary Kay Linge


December 10, 2022 1:27pm
Updated





A picture of Sam Brinton.
Sam Brinton was captured on security footage making off with a woman's bag worth more than $3,670 from a Las Vegas airport on July 6. 8NewsNow.com





The rainbow atomic symbol T-shirt should have been a clue.
Sam Brinton, the allegedly sticky-fingered Biden administration nuclear official, was captured on security footage making off with a woman’s bag worth more than $3,670 from a Las Vegas airport on July 6, KLAS News reported.
A surveillance snap from Harry Reid International Airport shows a stern-faced Brinton wearing the white T-shirt with the colorful symbol, a black backpack, and black jeans, rolling the suitcase in question through the airport.
The distinctive tee — which Brinton sported in a selfie posted to Instagram that same day — led the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to issue a warrant for Brinton’s arrest on grand larceny charges, according to a detective’s declaration.
Last month Brinton, the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, was charged in the September theft of a woman’s suitcase from a Minneapolis airport.




00:01 01:30 A picture of Sam Brinton.The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to issue a warrant for Brinton’s arrest on grand larceny charges, according to a detective’s declaration. radioactivenerd1/Instagram
The Las Vegas security footage from that showed the luggage — containing $1,700 worth of jewelry, clothing valued at $850, and $500 of makeup, police said — being removed from the airport’s baggage carousel by “a white male adult wearing a white T-shirt with a large rainbow-colored atomic nuclear symbol design,” the detective wrote.


The man “demonstrated several signs of abnormal behavior while taking the victim’s luggage which are cues suspects typically give off when committing luggage theft,” according to the declaration, then grabbed the bag off the carousel and walked away with it quickly.


The victim, who filed a police report on July 10, described her missing bag as a gray, hard-shell “Away” brand “Bigger Carry-On” valued at $320.

A picture of Sam Brinton.Last month Brinton was charged in the September theft of a woman’s suitcase from a Minneapolis airport.CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag A picture of Sam Brinton.The Las Vegas security footage from that showed the luggage containing $1,700 worth of jewelry, $850 worth of clothing, and $500 of makeup, police said.CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
Police were initially unable to identify the thief from the footage and closed the case. But on Nov. 29, when the Las Vegas investigator saw media reports of the Minneapolis accusation against Brinton, the officer “immediately recognized” the Energy Department employee “as the suspect pertaining to this case.”




Police found that Brinton had traveled on the victim’s flight from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas on July 6, and uncovered the nuclear-rainbow selfie.


“Thank you to @americannuclear for selling such a great shirt for me to wear on my flight today,” Brinton wrote in the post. “My professional society continues to grow and learn and I’m proud of them. Goodness how we have changed since my service as a chapter president and then on the National Board of Directors. #NuclearPride.”




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A picture of Sam Brinton.
Police found that Brinton had traveled on the victim's flight from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas on July 6. Sam Brinton/Instagram

A picture of Sam Brinton.
Brinton spoke during The Trevor Project Trevor at Cipriani Wall Street. Getty Images for The Trevor Proj



Brinton, who uses they/them pronouns, has been feted as one of the federal government’s first gender non-binary officials — but a group of House Republicans is clamoring for Brinton’s removal over the alleged thefts.


“We demand the resignation of Sam Brinton, and we implore you to set aside petty politics and appoint only the most qualified and dedicated individuals to influence America’s energy sector,” Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and 15 other Republicans wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Tuesday.


Brinton, who faces up to five years in prison for the Minnesota theft and up to 10 years jail time for the Las Vegas heist, was placed on leave when the first allegation came to light, according to an Energy Department spokesperson.
 
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Nonbinary ex-Biden official Sam Brinton released without bail in luggage-theft case​



By
Allie Griffin


February 16, 2023 1:46am
Updated











The former Biden Department of Energy official accused in two separate stolen-luggage cases in different states was released without bail Wednesday after a court appearance in Minnesota.
Sam Brinton, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, is accused of stealing a woman’s Vera Bradley suitcase from the baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in September.
The bag and its contents were valued at $2,325. Brinton was charged with felony theft after they were spotted using the luggage several times after allegedly snatching it.
Brinton was released without bail and ordered to not contact any of the victims during a hearing Wednesday, according to Fox News.
Brinton, 35, is also facing felony grand larceny charges in Nevada for a similar luggage heist incident in which prosecutors allege they stole another woman’s suitcase worth $320 at Harry Reid International Airport in July.

Samuel Brinton was caught on camera stealing luggage at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas over the summer.Samuel Brinton was caught on camera stealing luggage at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas over the summer.8NewsNow.com
The suitcase contained more than $3,500 worth of jewelry, clothing, and makeup, cops said.


They appeared in Las Vegas court in the case in December and were released after posting a $15,000 bond. The judge in that case told the former nuclear waste official to “stay out of trouble.”


After the charges came to light, Brinton was placed on leave from their government job as the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and was later fired.




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Brinton was detained at the Clark County Detention Center on Dec. 14, 2022.
Brinton was detained at the Clark County Detention Center on Dec. 14, 2022. LVMPD

Brinton, who identifies as nonbinary, at a premiere for CONVERSION on Nov. 17, 2022 in New York.
Brinton, who identifies as nonbinary, at a premiere for “CONVERSION” on Nov. 17, 2022 in New York. Getty Images for CONVERSION Movi

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Brinton shared a photo from an airplane prior to their arrest.
Brinton shared a photo from an airplane prior to their arrest. Sam Brinton/Instagram




Several House Republications had called on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to remove Brinton from the DOE before their firing.


They face up to five years in prison for the Minnesota theft and up to 10 years’ jail time for the Las Vegas heist.
 
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