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On September 16, 2022, airport officials accused non-binary American nuclear engineer and Department of Energy official Sam Brinton of stealing a woman's luggage at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International airport, Minnesota.
After the unidentified woman's luggage went missing, MSP airport officials reviewed CCTV footage to find that 34-year-old Sam Brinton had allegedly taken her bag, which was worth over $2000, the New York Post reported. Authorities said that Brinton was seen with the bag on two further occasions during trips to Washington DC, on September 18 and October 9.
On October 9, when Sam Brinton received a call from Minnesota authorities, the nuclear engineer told the officers that they had taken the luggage by accident.
Brinton reportedly said:
“If I had taken the wrong bag, I am happy to return it, but I don’t have any clothes for another individual. That was my clothes when I opened the bag.”
In another call, just hours later, Brinton reportedly told officers that while they had indeed taken the bag by accident, they later realized it wasn't theirs and hid the contents inside a hotel room.
Alpha News reported that Brinton was charged with felony theft of a moveable property without consent.
All about Sam Brinton, the Nuclear Engineer and LGBTQ+ advocate
The Des Moines Register reported that after a conservative childhood among a Southern Baptist family in Perry, Iowa, Brinton graduated from Kanas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering and Vocal Music.
Eventually, Brinton earned a dual Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering, technology, and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, setting the stage for their future career in the Office of Nuclear Energy.
As per reports, in January 2022, Sam Brinton became one of the first openly gender-fluid officials to work in the federal government after they began serving as the deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy.
The engineer, also known as an LGBTQ+ advocate, garnered attention for discussing the rights of queer youth and speaking out against conversion therapy. They were also heavily involved in the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention resource that offers toll-free support to young LGBTQ+ people.
However, their landmark rise in the federal government was tarnished by the charges in October. Authorities were suspicious of Brinton's claims that they mistakenly took the bag as they visited the baggage claim area without having checked in any luggage before this.
In response to the criminal complaint, the Department of Energy in November placed Brinton on a leave of absence until the situation was resolved. Their criminal hearing is scheduled for December 19 of this year.
