Charges dropped after Kentucky woman pays restitution in Donegal Township B&B case

A Kentucky woman is no longer facing criminal charges after authorities said she paid restitution to the owners of a Donegal Township bed-and-breakfast.

Samantha Nicole Brown, 35, of Louisville, had been accused of stealing an antique wooden bar from Baneberry Meadows Bed & Breakfast.

Felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property against her were withdrawn this month after she paid $18,000 in restitution to the owners, said Melanie Jones, spokesperson for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.

State police filed the charges against her last October, but Brown didn’t get arrested until July 10, according to court records. She was jailed on $75,000 bail at the time.

After eight days in the county lockup, the restitution agreement set her free, a week before her preliminary hearing was scheduled on Friday.

Troopers said they believed Brown and an unidentified man scammed the co-owners of the business by agreeing to buy it. An agreement called for the pair to manage the business until they were able to make the purchase.

But after a concerning call from a guest in June 2024, the co-owners learned glassware was used for target practice and, in addition to the antique bar, high-top tables, bar stools and a leather couch were missing.

Co-owner David Smalley told the Trib he was lucky to have the state police and members of the victim witness services in the DA’s office helping with the case.

Baneberry Meadows Bed & Breakfast is on property that was deeded to a local family in 1786. It was sold several times over the centuries since and a farmhouse on the property was estimated to have been built around 1865.

The farmhouse is separate from the renovated barn where guest rooms are located.