Paul Peterson, local Springdale attorney, was sentenced to prison for more than 6 years for admitting to running an illegal adoption scheme in Arkansas.

• He was arrested in 2019 after word broke about his affiliation with an illegal adoption scheme in Springdale and two other states. In June, 2020 Peterson pleated guilty. - 4029 NEWS
• It is speculated that Peterson worked to bring women from the Marshall Islands to the United States to have kids and then would give the children up for adoption.