14th Circuit Solicitor's Office​

Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties​

St. Helena Island woman convicted in federal, state court

BEAUFORT, SC (July 16, 2025) – A St. Helena Island woman who swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors for a sham residential development will now serve time in both federal and state prisons.

Samantha A. Nottingham, 38, pleaded guilty Tuesday to financial identity fraud, financial transaction card fraud, obtaining goods under false pretenses and driving under the influence, in Beaufort County General Sessions Court.

“This defendant went to great lengths to defraud, cheat and manipulate people by creating fake banking and tax documents and even disguised her identify inside a local car dealership by wearing a medical face mask,” said Francine Norz of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case.

Nottingham presented herself as the owner of Eastern Westerner, LLC, a company she claimed would purchase a $18 million-property in the Town of Port Royal to build a western-themed housing development. She enticed investors by creating fraudulent tax returns and brokerage account documents showing she earned more than $2 million annually and owned more than $73 million in assets in a brokerage account.

Additionally, Nottingham used her employee’s ID and credit without their knowledge to purchase three new vehicles valued at more than $300,000 from a Beaufort car dealership in a single day. She wore a mask to disguise her face so car dealership employees wouldn’t question her about the ID.

Nottingham also faces federal felony convictions. On May 19, Nottingham pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Charleston to wire fraud regarding a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a fraudulent Federal Payroll Protection Program loan application. 

Nottingham has been ordered to surrender herself in October to serve her federal prison sentence of 12 months and a day of incarceration. Nottingham also must serve three years of federal probation and pay $305,378 in restitution payments. Upon completion of her federal incarceration, Nottingham will begin her state prison sentence of two years. She must also serve five years of state probation and pay $250,173 in restitution. Nottingham is prohibited from opening new lines of credit without approval from the federal probation department.

David W. Tafoya of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Norz primarily prosecutes fraud and financial crimes across the 14th Judicial Circuit. She has been a prosecuting attorney with the Solicitor’s Office since 2006.

To report a scammer to the police, contact your local law enforcement agency, by calling its non-emergency number. Provide investigators with details, including any bank statements, emails or messages. Consider reporting the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (https://reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov).