ROGERS (KFSM) — A Benton County Quorum Court candidate was arrested Tuesday (Oct. 16) after police found several counterfeit $100 bills inside his car during a traffic stop.
Parker Henry Zielinski, 38, faces one count of first-degree forgery.
Zielinski is a candidate for Justice of the Peace District 5, which covers northwest Rogers between Interstate 49 and Arkansas 94.
Rogers police initially stopped Zielinski for not wearing a seat belt, but found that his license plate was linked to a shoplifting case from Walmart, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Zielinski said he didn’t know anything about the shoplifting allegation, but allowed officers to search his car, where they found 19 counterfeit $100 bills.
Zielinski said he purchased the bills online for his son for a game, according to the affidavit.
Police said the bills had the same serial number, but felt different from actual money and were discolored.
Zielinski was being held Wednesday (Oct. 17) at the Benton County Jail on a $4,500 bond. He has a hearing set for Nov. 26 in Benton County Circuit Court.
