Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. "[Ringleader Robin Ramirez] would bring in these coupons from overseas in large quantities, quantities we never could imagine and she would sell them on her website for about 50 percent of face value," said Sgt. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Law-enforcement authorities, manufacturers, and retailers advise against purchasing coupons. Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Had the system been better then, Lake said, we could have arrested probably another 50 people at least, who were buying hundreds of these coupons at a time and saying, I know theyre fake, but they work great.. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Okeniyi appeared in The Hunger Games and Run Sweetheart Run, and his next role is in Greek Freak. Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. Vince Vaughn's other moviesincludemany big-budget action films and comedies such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Wedding Crashers. She and JoJo then learn that the coupons originate from an Advanced Solutions factory in Chihuahua, Mexico, deciding to travel there and collect the coupons to redistribute to other mothers and wives. They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. The film revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife's desire to forge her own path, which ultimately leads her to the world of scams. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Because they arent exactly hardened criminals, they think that the money theyve made through their shell company has to be laundered, so they bought all these high priced items with the intent to just immediately resell them. Some of the coupon enthusiasts featured on the TLC show Extreme Couponing routinely purchased coupons from clipping services.In response to the Arizona coupon counterfeiting ring that inspired the Queenpins movie, the CIC's Bud Miller stated, "Coupon buyers expose themselves to the possibility of becoming involved with counterfeits, stolen property, or other criminal activities. (music by) Cinematography by Andrew Wehde . And thats why they make excuses, he said. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. The Phoenix Police Department conducted undercover operations in which they purchased the counterfeit coupons. Yes. [6] In December 2020, Dayo Okeniyi, Joel McHale, Nick Cassavetes, Michael Masini, Paul Rust, Eduardo Franco, Marc Evan Jackson, Lidia Porto, Greta Oglesby, Jack McBrayer and Annie Mumolo joined the cast of the film. The leader, Ramirez, pleaded guilty to fraud, counterfeiting, and illegal control of an enterprise. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. The scheme came crashing down after forty businesses, including major companies like Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, and PepsiCo, filed fraud complaints. Woman on Plane: Hey sorry, uhm, would you mind if we switched seats, just for this last part? Because they arent exactly hardened criminals, they think that the money theyve made through their shell company has to be laundered, so they bought all these high priced items with the intent to just immediately resell them. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. They also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. "I am not spending money!" Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. I'd recommend this film for unwinding on a Friday night after a long week. While it's hard to know how many customers knew they might be engaging in criminal activity, there were a few red flags that should have at least made them suspicious. After a shootout breaks out at a jazz club in the heart of town over a 'transaction' gone wrong, the Shrimps of Ocean Street and the Deadbeats of Industrial Way prepare to fight. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. But all were ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble, just one of the many manufacturers whose coupons they counterfeited and sold. Talk about extreme couponing! She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. Queenpins tells a comedic story of two down-on-their-luck Phoenix women who discover their path to prosperity by concocting a $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme that all comes crashing down when they get caught. She does not seem to take it too seriously, telling us that "this is a story about little old coupons.". In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Previously, she worked as a singer and songwriter, penning hitslike Eminem and Rihanna's "The Monster" and collaborating with bands such as Florida Georgia Line. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. Your email address will not be published. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. The comments below have not been moderated, By The crime comedy is based on a counterfeit coupon empire that shocked law enforcement. People who purchased coupons on the site could use them for an item and even get cash back if the value of the coupon exceeded the item's price. As far as the real women involved, stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste admit that they never actually met or spoke to the actual minds behind the crime to learn what sparked it. Read about the latest trends in couponing, get some new coupon alerts and keep up with stories across the country and around the world that have to do with coupons, the companies that issue them and the consumers who use them. Some movies are based on true stories, some movies are inspired by true stories. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. The cruelty-free sacred oil that will anoint Charles as King: Monarch breaks Coronation Day tradition with 'I have nothing to say to you': Father of Mallory Beach - who was killed in a boat crash while Alex Murdaugh's Alex Murdaugh is seen with his prison buzz cut as he starts two life sentences without parole for killing his Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Mother Goose panto for bringing their baby with them, after venue Is this Britain's most despicable man? He'd be scary if the film didn't make him the literal butt of the joke. The details were first revealed after a Tuesday morning raid in July 2012 by the Phoenix Arizona Police Department. This installment focuses on the true story behind the crime comedy Queenpins. Released in the United States on September 10, 2021 by STXfilms, the film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $1.2 million against a $20 million production budget. David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. Lets break it down. Bell will next be lending her voice to the animated show Do, Re & Mi, as well as appearing in the miniseries The Woman in the House. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? They contact the hacker who stole JoJos identity, Tempe Tina, and are taken to her secret location, where she instructs the pair on how to conceal their operation and secure their money, suggesting they use JoJos cosmetics brand Back 2 Black to disguise their coupon business. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. 'We were ordering hundreds of dollars in coupons every month,' one anonymous user toldKentuckys WPSD. "This is to American companies who produced American products and hire American citizens" (DSA). 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The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). [3] In July 2020, it was announced Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn had joined the cast of the film. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. Marilyn Johnson, 54, Robin Ramirez, 40, and Amiko Fountain, 42, were taken into custody, and in a press conference, police said a search warrant served resulted in the seizing of $40 million worth of coupons and $2 million worth of assets from the womens homes, including $240,000 in vehicles, 22 guns, and a 40-foot speedboat. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary In addition, the scenes involving the gun sale include short appearances by co-director Aron Gaudet's brother Nick as a barista, as well as actor and director Nick Cassavetes as the leader of the group buying the guns. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. A look at what really happened with the characters of Andrew Dominiks 2007 Western epic. Users had to be 'invited' to join the site, and fans raved about the impossibly good deals, like a coupon for a free pizza worth $7 that would cost shoppers just $1. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHO at the time. The idea started just as a way for their two families to make ends meet as they struggled to pay the bills. You know what, I bet if a better actor were playing Ken Miller, thered probably be a little fine tooth combing involved with the world of loss prevention. Now that theyve done their time and are working to pay off their debt, the women appear to be trying to put the incident behind them. -Investigative Consultants. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). But its funny that its gotten so much attention, Lake said. Ramirez, too, declined to respond to requests for comment. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. Here . In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. [Resumes eating snacks and looking out the window], Watch Queenpins: Gita Pullapilly & Aron Gaudet On Why Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Were Right For Their Roles, Watch Queenpins: Kristen Bell On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Paul Walter Hauser On What Drew Him To The Film, Watch Queenpins: Kirby Howell-Baptiste On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Bebe Rexha On The Experience She's Had So Far Acting In Her First Film. Paul Walter Hauseras Ken Miller -Paul Walter Hauser plays Loss Prevention Officer Ken Miller, whoserather unexciting job takes a turn when he discovers the fake coupon scheme. Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star in this based-on-a-true-story film about a pair of women whose coupon-counterfeiting operation turned into more than they bargained for. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. Then-forty-year-old Robin Ramirez led the group, which included Marilyn Johnson, then-fifty-four, and Amiko Amy Fountain, then-forty-two. He can next be seen in the movie Delia's Gone. The filmmakers are not trying to hurt anybody, or glorify the crime, theyre just trying to make a funny story. But, he cautioned, we cant say that it doesnt matter that a person is only selling coupons when we look at the amount of economic damage that does., Counterfeiters like the three Phoenix women, and the many customers who bought coupons from them, are fully aware that what theyre doing is wrong, Lake believes. Tempe Tina does not have a real-life counterpart. Kristen Bell stars as Connie Kaminski, a suburban housewife who just wants to find a solution for the debtburying her and her husband. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Review: Scamming Audiences with Sophomoric Humor and Dubious Politics. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. You could only place an order if you had a referral from a current customer, and you had to pay for your order with a Green Dot Moneypak (prepaid debit card). We dont want people to think its funny. Before playing Agent Park, he was inTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,Wreck-It Ralph, Bob's Burgers, and many others. They may also expose themselves to additional risk by providing their names, home addresses, and financial information to organized crime rings." That is the basic premise of Queenpins, a comedy reuniting The Good Place co-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. After six months, the pair figure their money is safe to use, but because the money is dirty, they need to spend and clean it. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. When we use coupons, we feel like we're getting away with something, like we're smart and special. We're all looking for a loophole to find our joy and happiness in life." But thats just Connie and Jojo. His character represents the law enforcementin charge of tracking down the women responsible. But Aron [Gaudet] and Gita [Pullapilly], as storytellers our writer and directors have added so many specific elements of storytelling to this about what Connies career was, what Jojos career was, their circumstances in life in order to create a story that you would root for, and then it sort of goes into the nonfiction aspect that it sort of wasnt maybe as necessary to take on a ton of the real life characteristics of the women.. Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha makes her feature film debut in the Queenpins movie. The character mainly functions to forward the plot and as the other half of the "buddy-cop" duo with Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser). Slapstick . YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. The fake coupon game isnt a joke. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. Their unbelievable success eventually catches the attention of law enforcement. You Are Reading :Queenpins Cast And Character Guide Where You Know The Actors From. And after reading the script and falling massively in love with it, because it was such a grounded comedy, I did some research about these women. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7,S5,S6 S7,S9,A10,A20 A30,A50 They also seized more than $2 million in other assets, including 22 guns, cash, 21 vehicles, and a speed boat. Instead, Hauser's character is a loss-prevention officer for a grocery store chain. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. Queenpins. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Coupons in the News features daily news stories and information about coupons, grocery shopping and saving money. Visitors to the Savvy Shopper Site website could buy high-value coupons offering free items like detergent, diapers, pet food and more, for pennies on the dollar. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. Having had enough of his lack of support, she declares that she wants a divorce. For the most part, yes. They were also ordered to pay Proctor & Gamble more than $1.2 million. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. I'd call it a buddy film on a couple of levels: The main characters, Connie and Jo, and then the sub-characters, Simon and Ken. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. Although both women also had to financially reimburse P&G, they did not have to serve jail time for their part in the scheme. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Yes, a bear actually did consumer millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Instead, he becomes highly frustrated when the FBI blows off his concerns. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. [8], In June 2021, Showtime and Paramount+ acquired U.S. pay TV and streaming rights to the film for about $20 million. Autumn Cejer is a Movie/TV Features Writer for Screen Rant. Dejected and frustrated suburban housewife Connie Kaminski (ne Stevens), a three-time gold-medal-winning former Olympic racewalker, has followed the conventional life path set for her by society ever since she was young. Why the USPS? The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com, Dax Shepard wishes wife Kristen Bell a happy 41st birthday: 'Here's wishing you another 100 years in the saddle', Conwoman, 60, accused of posing as gem expert to swap diamonds worth 4.2m for pebbles was caught on CCTV outside Mayfair jeweller Boodles the day before heist, court hears. And the women wont be getting any windfall from Queenpins. Her next acting roleisfor the movie Confess, Fletch. Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. They start buying things like sports cars, boats, planes, and guns, but Tina then criticizes their overspending and tells them that because their money was always clean, their purchases are just making them look more suspicious, instructing them to withdraw money from the bank in small increments and to sell off all their big purchases. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. If you watch the movie 'Queenpins,' you will see, what I believe, is the first film in Hollywood to feature AEW in the film." Furthermore, Paul Walter Hauser reveals that he has actually had minimal wrestling training with several names from The Nightmare Factory including Anthony Ogogo, Preston Vance, and even WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas . Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. It is also revealed that Connie, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive following her miscarriage, is finally pregnant through in vitro fertilization. The Coupon Information Corporation got wind of the scheme, and brought it to the attention of investigators, which is how it eventually landed on the desk of Phoenix Police Sergeant David Lake. Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. None of the characters are based on the real individuals involved, Gaudet told Coupons in the News. Queenpins is a quirky crime comedy inspired by a trio of women who made millions of dollars in an elaborate coupon scam. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. Perhaps the most telling sign that things weren't on the up-and-up was the fact that the site advised, "Please do not share this information with people that you don't actually know. She was most likely added to the script for comedic reasons in order to frame Connie and JoJo as being in over their heads and desperately needing outside help. And after reading the script and falling massively in love with it, because it was such a grounded comedy, I did some research about these women. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center.