A former official at the Biden administration's Department of Energy (DOE) won't be spending time behind bars for stealing luggage as part of a plea deal.
LifeSiteNews reported that the "nonbinary" Sam Brinton had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, citing a separate article by the Washington Free Beacon. Brinton was appointed as deputy assistant secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition at the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy in February last year. However, he was terminated in December after he was accused of stealing luggage in two separate instances.
Brinton was initially accused of taking a Vera Bradley suitcase worth $2,325 from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport baggage carousel. He was later accused a second time of taking a suitcase containing $3,670 worth of jewelry, clothing and makeup from the baggage carousel at Nevada's Harry Reid International Airport.
Brinton was accused a third time of luggage theft by Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin, which led to his May 2023 arrest. The nonbinary official reportedly stole Khamsin's suitcase at the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Virginia. The fashion designer learned of Brinton's theft after she saw photos of him online wearing her creations. (Related: STRIKE 3! Former DOE official Sam Brinton ARRESTED over a third case of luggage theft.)
According to the Free Beacon, the erstwhile Energy Department official reached a plea agreement with prosecutors before the Arlington General District Court for the theft of Khamsin's luggage. Brinton pleaded guilty to petit larceny, a misdemeanor. Had a plea deal not been reached, he would have faced "felony charges that carried a sentence of up to 20 years."
"The resolution we came to is supported by the facts and circumstances of the case as a whole," said Jessika Thomas, a spokeswoman for Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. "Unfortunately, since the case remains pending, we are prohibited from commenting further."
A slap on the wrist for the kleptomaniac Brinton
Prosecutors said instead of spending time in jail, Brinton agreed to enter an adult diversion program requiring mental health treatment. He also agreed to write a letter of apology and render 50 hours of community service helping the elderly. "It means he has now evaded jail time for all three offenses," LifeSiteNews pointed out.
Aside from the plea agreement with prosecutors in Virginia, Brinton also settled with Khamsin. The settlement involved him writing a letter to Khamsin and agreeing to pay her an undisclosed sum of money. The fashion designer filed her civil suit against Brinton in September 2023, four months after he was arrested.
"Brinton has apologized to Khamsin, and [she] has forgiven [him]," said Khamsin's legal counsel. "Khamsin has decided not to publish Brinton's letter of apology, as she considers the letter to be quite personal, sensitive, sincere and heartfelt."
"Khamsin hopes that the example of reconciliation that she and Brinton have set will encourage tolerance and coexistence in America, especially at this time of unfortunate public tension. [She] wishes [him] all the best."
The Free Beacon added: "While the [Arlington County plea] agreement was finalized, the case remains open. A follow-up hearing in the case is slated for June 2025 to review Brinton's progress. The case may then, at that point, be closed."
Brinton and his legal counsel declined to respond when asked for comment on the case following the hearing. Meanwhile, his partner Kevin Rieck told a Free Beacon reporter to "go away."
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Watch this Fox News report about Sam Brinton's May 2023 arrest at his Maryland home.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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Report: "Non-binary" former DOE official committed LUGGAGE THEFT while on government trip.
'Gender-fluid' Biden official busted for SECOND time over felony theft of luggage.
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