A Biden Energy Department official who stole a woman’s suitcase from the Minneapolis airport in September has been charged in another theft at the Las Vegas airport.
A felony warrant has been issued for Sam Brinton, deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposal in the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, on charges of grand theft. 8 News Now reported on Thursday.
Brinton, who made history as one of the federal government’s first sex workers, stole another traveler’s luggage at Harry Reid International Airport in Vegas on an unspecified date, the news agency reported.
Details about the alleged theft are scarce, but 8 News Now reports Brinton, 35, was charged with grand theft between $1,200 and $5,000.
The energy worker they use pronouns reportedly has sticky fingers for suitcases.
Brinton was placed on leave from the Department of Energy after it was revealed that he was charged with felony theft for taking a woman’s Vera Bradley suitcase from a trunk in St. Petersburg, Minneapolis. Paul Airport on Sept. 16, according to court documents.
The suitcase and the woman’s belongings inside were valued at $2,325.
Brinton initially denied taking the bag, but later claimed in a baggage claim that they mistook it for her bag, even though they never checked the bag before the flight, according to court documents.
According to video surveillance, they removed the suitcase’s ID tag after pulling it off the baggage carousel.
They were later seen in Vera Bradley’s suitcase at least twice, on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9, when they traveled to Washington, D.C., investigators said.
Brinton was later charged with theft of movable property without consent and was placed on leave after the conviction.
Earlier this week, a group of House Republicans called on Brinton to resign over the initial allegations.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and 15 other Republicans were sent letter Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called on Tuesday to remove them from the department.
“We demand Sam Brinton’s resignation and ask that you set aside petty politics and appoint only the most qualified and dedicated individuals to impact America’s energy sector,” the GOP lawmakers wrote.
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