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A former Biden administrator, Sam Brinton, who worked with the Department of Energy (DOE), was arrested at their home on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Rockville, Maryland. According to the Montgomery County Police Department, they were taken into custody as a "fugitive from justice" for an incident involving the theft of airport luggage that took place earlier this year.
According to Merriam-Webster, a fugitive from justice refers to a person, like a criminal or a witness, who has eluded law enforcement by fleeing the jurisdiction.
The reports were confirmed by James Johnson, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police, the lead authority in the investigation. He told Fox News Digital:
" (MWAA) executed a search warrant May 17 in Montgomery County, Maryland, in connection with allegations of stolen property in luggage from Reagan National Airport that was brought to the department’s attention in February 2023."
The news of Brinton's arrest comes a month after they pleaded "no contest" to charges of the theft of a woman's luggage at the airport in Las Vegas back in July 2022. They were caught on camera taking off with a bag containing more than $3,500 worth of clothing, jewelry, and makeup.
Sam Brinton was fired from DOE after multiple charges of luggage theft were filed against them
In February 2023, Sam Brinton, one of the first non-binary federal government officials, was accused of stealing Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin's custom-made clothes that were supposed to be showcased at a fashion show.
On March 9, 2018, Khamsin filed a lost luggage report after her bag, which contained 30 of her designed clothes, went missing at the Ronald Reagan Washington Airport in DC. Earlier this year, she stumbled upon photos of the disgraced DOE official wearing the outfits she designed. She told the New York Post:
"I was thinking, 'Who took my bag, where is it?' for a long time. Then I see images of the outfits and I was so confused and upset. I was thinking, where did he get those clothes – because I didn’t think he was a thief."
She posted multiple images online comparing Sam Brinton's clothing with her own designs, which were virtually identical. However, she refrained from accusing them of stealing and remarked that she was confused about how they were in their possession.
In addition to the incidents in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., the ex-nuclear official also stole a Vera Bradley suitcase from baggage claim at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on September 16, 2022. They were charged with felony theft after surveillance video showed them grabbing the luggage and removing the identifying tags. Additionally, Sam was caught using the said bags on two separate occasions.
Although initially denying taking the suitcase, Brinton later stated that they took it by mistake. They were fired from his DOE post soon after.
A Montgomery County Police Department spokesperson remarked that Sam Brinton was currently being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and added that they have a no-bond status until their hearing.
Asya Khamsin or her lawyer are yet to comment on Sam's arrest.
