Former Biden official Sam Brinton avoids jail time for stealing luggage at Virginia airport

A non-binary former Biden administration official avoided jail time in Virginia last week, after striking a plea deal that included community service and mental health treatment, after he stole a woman's luggage from the Reagan International Airport in 2018.

Sam Brinton, who has faced multiple felony larceny charges for stealing luggage in Minnesota, Nevada, and Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to petit larceny in exchange for a lighter sentence that includes 50 hours of community service, entrance into an adult diversion program, and a letter of apology to victim Asya Khamsin, who is a Tanzanian fashion designer.

Brinton also settled a lawsuit from Khasmin for an unspecified amount this week, and wrote Khasmin another apology. 

Although the plea deal has been finalized in court, the case remains pending and Brinton will need to follow up with the court next year.

"The resolution we came to is supported by the facts and circumstances of the case as a whole," Jessika Thomas, a spokeswoman for Arlington County commonwealth's attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, said in a statement, according to the Washington Free Beacon. "Unfortunately, since this case remains pending, we are prohibited from commenting further."

Brinton was originally charged with grand larceny, which is a felony, and would have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted, according to Virginia sentencing guidelines.

An attorney for Khasmin said the fashion designer holds no ill-will against Brinton, who stole and wore some of her fashion designs that were in the luggage, and is ready to move on from the case. 

"Asya Khamsin hopes that the example of reconciliation that she and Mr. Brinton have set will encourage tolerance and coexistence in America, especially at this time of unfortunate public tension," the attorney said. "Asya Khamsin wishes Mr. Brinton all the best."

Brinton has also avoided prison sentences in Minnesota and Nevada, but was given a suspended jail sentence of 180 days in Nevada last year that he was not required to serve.

The former Biden administration official previously worked for the Department of Energy as the deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy, but departed from the agency in 2022. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.