The Biden Administration’s non-binary energy secretary has been charged with the theft of a second luxury suitcase, but hasn’t been fired by the Department of Energy, despite possessing a government security clearance.
Sam Brinton, who serves as the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition for the DOE, is facing another felony theft charge for snatching a second woman’s bag off an airport luggage carousel.
The theft occurred on July 6 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, when a woman reported that her Away-brand suitcase with an estimated $3,670 of clothing, jewelry, and makeup, disappeared after a flight in from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police reviewed the security cameras and witnessed “a white male adult wearing a white T-shirt with a large rainbow colored atomic nuclear symbol design” taking a bag off the luggage carousel that matched the Away suitcase’s description.
Ironically, the LVMPD closed the case when they were unable to identify the luggage thief, but after Brinton’s highly publicized felony charges for an extremely similar crime, they reopened the investigation.
Investigators “immediately recognized” Brinton’s photos from the media circus surrounding their alleged crime, and identified them “as the suspect pertaining to [their] case.”
Brinton’s prolific use of social media helped police corroborate that Briton was their chief suspect, as the sometimes drag queen posted a selfie dressed in the same LGBTQ+ friendly atomic symbol shirt the luggage snatcher was caught on video wearing during the theft.
“Thank you to @americannuclear for selling such a great shirt for me to wear on my flight today,” Brinton posted to Instagram on July 6.
“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.”
The MIT educated nuclear engineer “demonstrated several signs of abnormal behavior” that “suspects typically give off when committing luggage theft,” the police report said.
“Specifically, Brinton pulled the victim’s luggage from the carousel and examined the tag,” the investigating detective wrote.
“Then placing it back on the carousel, looking in all directions for anyone who might be watching, or might approach,” and “Pulling it back off the carousel and demonstrating the same behavior by looking around before walking away with it quickly.”
The report noted that Brinton had already claimed the single piece of luggage they checked from the carousel, and “had no reason to be examining and taking any other pieces of luggage.”
A warrant for Brinton’s arrest on charges of grand larceny was issued on Thursday.
The category B felony, which applies to the theft of items valued over $3,500, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
The alleged luggage theft preceded the headline making crime that Brinton was charged with on Sept. 16, when they were accused of taking a Vera Bradley suitcase of a luggage turnstile at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport.
A Delta passenger arrived on a flight from New Orleans to find that her bag had gone missing after Brinton’s plane landed 13 minutes earlier.
Security cameras allegedly caught the non-binary federal employee tearing off the luggage identification tags and exiting the airport with the suitcase, despite flying carry-on only.
Local police easily identified Brinton, and called them as part of the investigation opened into the theft on Oct. 9.
The suspect, who proudly wears women’s clothing, initially denied involvement in the crime.
“If I had taken the wrong bag, I am happy to return it, but I don’t have any clothes for another individual. That was my clothes when I opened the bag,” they told the investigator.
Two hours later, Brinton called back and explained that they hadn’t been “completely honest” during the first interview, and claimed that they mistakenly took the bag from the luggage carousel due to travel fatigue.
Upon realizing the error, the DOE official said they “got nervous” that people would believe the theft was intentional, and dumped the bag’s reported $2,325 in the hotel room they were staying in.
Despite the claim, Brinton was spotted using the suitcase on two separate trips to Washington D.C., on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9.
The energy secretary is set to appear in court later this month for felony theft, which carries up to a five-year prison sentence and a maximum $10,000 fine.
The DOE placed Brinton on unexplained leave in October after the charges were filed, but has not fired the deputy secretary in the wake the additional theft.
“The Department of Energy takes criminal charges against DOE employees and clearance holders very seriously. Sam Brinton, a career civil servant, is on administrative leave,” a DOE spokesperson said.
“Generally, as the Department has previously stated, if a DOE clearance holder is charged with a crime, the case would be immediately considered by DOE personnel security officials, and depending on the circumstances, that review could result in suspension or revocation of the clearance.”