Man caught at Scottsdale store with counterfeit cash, police say

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A Scottsdale store owner is speaking out after she reportedly caught a customer trying to use counterfeit money.

Police say 41-year-old Jason Paplinski tried to buy items from several stores in the Valley with the fake cash. When Scottsdale officers put him in handcuffs, he already had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly committing the same crime.

"People shoplift and steal in so many different ways, and counterfeit bills are just one more way that a business has to pay the price," said Ann Siner, owner of My Sister's Closet.

It's a price that Siner's store paid firsthand when a man walked in to make a purchase.

"He bought a 20 dollar gift card and gave us a fake 100 dollar bill, so he gets 80 dollars in change back," Siner said. "That’s real money."

When counting money later that day, she realized the upsetting truth. It was fake.

"It’s absolutely violating," Siner said. "It would be like someone grabbing into your purse and saying, I’m going to take 100 dollars out of there, your money is really my money, when you know it’s not–you’ve worked hard for it."

The store owner says she didn't want to be taken advantage of again, so she obtained a counterfeit-scanning machine to go behind to register.

"It’s hard to train all these employees to hold a bill to the light and know what to look for, and we discovered this little machine," she said.

Police say Jason Paplinski returned to the store a few days later, but this time, they were ready.

The 41-year-old was arrested at a nearby store. Records show he had drugs in his possession and spent time in prison on similar charges in the past.

According to court records, Paplinsky pleaded guilty. His sentencing is expected on July 14.

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As for Siner, she says nothing fake will come through her store again.

"I have zero tolerance for it," she said.

Siner also wants small business owners to know that counterfeit detection machines can easily be found online.