ARLINGTON, Va.—Sam Brinton is a free man. The disgraced former Department of Energy official pleaded guilty to petit larceny as part of a sweetheart deal that will see him serve no jail time after facing felony charges that carried a sentence of up to 20 years.
The agreement allows Brinton—who made headlines in June 2022 as one of the first-ever nonbinary gender-fluid federal appointees—to escape jail time in a case that could have resulted in as many as 20 years imprisonment, according to Virginia sentencing guidelines for grand larceny. The agreement marks the third time Brinton has been able to escape serving any jail time for stealing women’s luggage from airports.