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Ex-Biden Official Sam Brinton Takes Plea Deal For Alleged Luggage Theft In Las Vegas

Photo by Tasia Wells/Getty Images for The Trevor Project

James Lynch Contributor
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Disgraced former Biden Energy Department (DOE) official Sam Brinton pleaded no contest Tuesday to allegedly stealing luggage from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, court records reportedly show.

Brinton was given a 180-day suspended jail term and ordered to pay $3,670.74 of restitution for the July 2022 incident, Fox 5 first reported Thursday, citing court records. Security footage caught Brinton taking a woman’s luggage from the Las Vegas airport, and Brinton became a prime suspect after being accused of similar luggage theft in Minneapolis, 8 News Now reported.

Brinton, who identifies as “non-binary” and uses “they/them” pronouns, had been serving as the DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (NE-8) at the time of the alleged Las Vegas luggage theft. (RELATED: Sam Brinton Released Without Bail After First Minneapolis Court Appearance)

Brinton faced felony grand larceny charges for the alleged incident in December 2022, shortly after the ex-Biden official was charged for the alleged luggage theft in Minneapolis. Brinton was released without bail after an initial court appearance for the Minneapolis incident.

The DOE terminated Brinton’s employment because of the charges in December 2022. Brinton oversaw programs related to nuclear fuel and radioactive waste at the department.

The former energy official first rose to prominence as an outspoken LGBTQ activist and became the first “genderfluid” person to hold a federal leadership role. Brinton’s past allegations about being tortured in a gay conversion therapy clinic have been denied by the ex-officials family.