Sam Brinton, the "genderfluid" baggage thief who once served as President Joe Biden's top nuclear waste disposal expert, was arrested Wednesday as a "fugitive from justice" in conjunction with a third baggage theft.
Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, arrested the Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year at his home, court records show. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority told Fox News that Brinton was arrested "in connection with allegations of stolen property in luggage from Reagan National Airport that was brought to the department’s attention in February 2023." Brinton, who identifies as "nonbinary" and uses they/them pronouns, remains in custody in Rockville, Maryland. He is set to appear for a hearing in court Thursday afternoon.
Brinton made history last year as the first nonbinary federal official to face felony charges for stealing women’s suitcases from airports in Minnesota and Nevada. The former official, a well-known figure in the sexual fetish community who teaches classes on the "science of spanking," drew a six-figure, taxpayer-funded salary and benefits for more than a month after his first arrest in November. Brinton was dismissed from federal service in December.
Brinton narrowly escaped jail time in his two separate baggage theft cases. He was ordered in April to pay $3,671 to a woman whose suitcase he stole in July 2022 from the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Also in April, a Minnesota court ordered Brinton to undergo a mental health evaluation, enter an adult diversion program, and write a letter of apology to another woman, whose bag he stole from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport in September 2022.
A neighbor of the disgraced former federal official told the Daily Wire that "four unmarked police" arrived at Brinton’s home Wednesday evening and wouldn’t let his spouse leave. An hour later, Brinton was escorted out of his home in handcuffs, the neighbor said.
Houston fashion designer Asya Khamsin said in February that she believes Brinton is responsible for stealing her luggage. She posted pictures on Twitter showing Brinton wearing her custom outfit and jewelry that she lost from the bag, which was never recovered.
Update 8:42 p.m.: This piece has been updated to include additional information.