Sam Brinton, the nonbinary U.S. energy official who was fired for stealing women’s luggage at airports, was arrested in Maryland as a fugitive from justice in another case of luggage theft.
Brinton, 35, is currently behind bars in Montgomery County after a judge ordered the former Biden administration darling to be held without bond during a Thursday court appearance, according to court records.
The Daily Wire first reported Brinton’s arrest on Wednesday night.
A neighbor of Brinton’s told the outlet that “four unmarked police showed up last night, they would not let his spouse Kevin leave. After about an hour Sam Brinton was escorted out in handcuffs.”
The disgraced ex-official, who doesn’t identify as male or female, is awaiting extradition to Virginia on grand larceny charges.
Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin accused Brinton of stealing her baggage at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2018.
SEE ALSO: Former Biden official Sam Brinton avoids jail time in luggage theft
Ms. Khamsin made the accusation after seeing Brinton wearing the designer’s custom-made outfits for a Vanity Fair photoshoot some time after the theft.
It is unclear whether Brinton was arrested as a fugitive over this incident.
However Reagan National Airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, and the Khamsin incident is the only publicly reported theft tied to Brinton that has not been legally settled.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Montgomery County court clerk for comment.
Brinton, the former deputy assistant secretary of the Energy Department’s office of spent fuel and waste disposition, had avoided imprisonment in two previous cases of luggage theft.
Brinton agreed to enter a diversion program to avoid jail time after being convicted for stealing a Vera Bradley suitcase with over $2,300 worth of contents in it from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport last September.
SEE ALSO: Nonbinary ex-Biden energy official Sam Brinton ordered to undergo mental-health evaluation
Brinton also had to return the stolen items to the victim and write an apology letter to her, as well as do three days of community service.
If all goes well for Brinton under the diversion program, there will be no jail time in Minnesota. The former federal official had faced up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
The Energy Department fired Brinton after an arrest warrant was issued in another case of baggage theft in Nevada.
Las Vegas authorities said Brinton was seen taking a $320 piece of luggage from the baggage claim area, with the bag having over $3,500 worth of jewelry, clothing and cosmetics inside.
Brinton pleaded “no contest” in the case and received a suspended sentence of 180 days in prison and was ordered to pay $3,670 to that victim.
Brinton and the victim took the same flight into Las Vegas from Washington Dulles International Airport.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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