Biden’s disgraced nuclear waste official accused of serial luggage theft, released without bail

Brinton was arrested and charged with felony theft after allegedly stealing a woman's $320 suitcase and its contents, valued at $3,000, from the luggage carousel at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport in September 2022.

According to the Daily Mail, Brinton was ordered not to have any contact with the victim, who confirmed that it was, in fact, her luggage that Brinton had allegedly stolen.

As Brinton left the courtroom, reporters berated Brinton with questions such as, "Why would you want some lady's dirty clothes?"

Brinton, who claimed to have taken the Vera Bradley suitcase by mistake, said its contents had been left in a hotel room in Minnesota, however, nothing was ever recovered. The suitcase, however, was spotted with Brinton on a flight back to Washington, DC, as well as a trip to Europe the following month.

If found guilty, Brinton could face a $10,000 fine, a five-year prison sentence, or both.

This is not the first time Brinton has been accused of making off with the wrong suitcase. Brinton was also accused of stealing a woman's suitcase at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport in June. The bag in this case was valued at $3,670, and its contents another $3,050. Brinton appeared in court in December and was released on $15,000 bail.

Following the revelations, Brinton was relieved of his duties as the Energy Department's deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition.

“Sam Brinton is no longer a DOE employee. By law, the Department of Energy cannot comment further on personnel matters,” a spokesperson said, refusing to divulge whether Brinton's departure was voluntary or if he had been fired.

Brinton had been hired with much fanfare as the first openly non-binary US government official and a staunch advocate for LGBTQ Americans. Brinton was later accused of lying about having been abused during "conversion therapy."