No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. Bud is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an industry veteran. 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. Procter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. , updated 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. Ramirez, Fountain and Johnson are now having to live with what they did. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, were arrested in July of 2012. The site's critics consensus reads: "Lowbrow humor and inconsistent storytelling undercut Queenpins' talented cast, making this coupon-clipping comedy a disappointingly poor bargain. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. Queenpins. [3] In July 2020, it was announced Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn had joined the cast of the film. In February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. Ame hissed, "Getting partnered with someone like me. 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. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. Greg Garcia, a cashier at her local A&G Family Marts store, explains to her that companies habitually respond to complaint letters by sending coupons for free items. Her term of probation was recently extended for another five years, after she fell more than $4,000 behind in her restitution payments. 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. While it might seem outrageous and is played for laughs in the movie, in July 2012, a SWAT team really did raid the Phoenix residences of the three women who played a part in the counterfeit coupon operation. She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. They were a part of a fast-rising category referred to as "pink collar criminals," "nice" suburban women who commit non-violent crimes, mostly fraud or embezzling from businesses or from community organizations like the PTA. This includes forums and any public viewing areas or websites.". Follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. As the Time article notes, couponing became popular not only in the wake of reality television shows like TLCs Extreme Couponing but also due to the economic reality in the wake of the Great Recession. The ladies account is frozen due to suspicious activity, so Connie realizes they need to prove their business is legitimate. Queenpinsdebuted in theaters on September 10, 2021. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Bud Miller, who was the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC), told money-saving columnist Jill Cataldo, "Initial contact was made by a SWAT team removing the front door of a residence by force. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. 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. 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. $100,000 x 40 is 4 million not 40 million. 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. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. -Investigative Consultants. The women sold their counterfeit coupons on various online sites, including eBay and their own website, SavvyShopperSite.com. You can't make this stuff up - and the filmmakers didn't have to. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. Paul Walter Hauser's character, Ken Miller, seems to be a very loosely-inspired caricature of Bud Miller, the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC). Yes. Johnson helped package and ship the coupons to customers, and Fountain placed hologram stickers on some of them to make them look more legitimate. Bell plays Connie, whose life is smaller and sadder than she expected, following her early success as a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete (but in a low-profile event, race-walking). David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 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. 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. Kiara frowned, watching the usually stoic Ame toss and turn in the driver's seat. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The movie takes a more lighthearted angle on the real story, having to combine ortweak some of the people involved in order towork better as a film. But thats just Connie and Jojo. She portrays a fictional computer hacker named Tempe Tina, who helps the two main characters with their coupon scam. 17:23 EST 23 Jul 2021 The story of the three womens 2012 arrests for coupon fraud is back in the news, as the major motion picture they inspired is set to open in theaters this Friday. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. Ramirezs case was back before a judge as recently as July, when her probation officer reported she was falling behind on her share of the nearly $1.3 million in restitution payments she and her cohorts were ordered to pay. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. The group would have fake coupons made oversees, including reproductions of legitimate coupons and made-up ones with steep savings. Queenpinshits theaters on September 10th and will be available to stream via Paramount+ on September 30th. These are free item coupons,' Police Sgt. Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). After a particularly frustrating day, Connie writes a complaint letter to General Mills about the Wheaties she ate being stale, and soon, she receives a coupon for a free box of cereal. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. They included coupons for anything from Hershey bars to dog food to diapers. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Click here to get in touch, or for information about advertising on the site. Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. The movie, which premieres September 10, offers a comical take on the true story ofRobin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona, who were arrested in 2012 for their years-long counterfeitingracket and ordered to pay P&G millions in restitution. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer. They encounter married employees Alejandro and Rosa Diaz, who agree to send them the unused coupons. While the characters in the 2021 movieQueenpins call out systemic inequality and the downfalls of capitalism, it's unlikely that their real-life counterparts shared these same sentiments. "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". Autumn has a Master of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University, where she also taught superhero-themed composition courses. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. 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. -TIME, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. No one who purchased coupons faced legal repercussions, but one cant help but think that they are the real losers here. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. Your email address will not be published. You cant make this stuff up and the filmmakers didnt have to. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. For diapers and toothpaste. When we're with Connie and JoJo, the tone of "Queenpins" is upbeat and sit-com-y, with Dolly Parton on the soundtrack telling us everything is going to be all right. Watch Queenpins: Bebe Rexha On The Experience She's Had So Far Acting In Her First Film Photos 17 Top cast Edit Kristen Bell Connie Kirby JoJo (as Kirby Howell-Baptiste) Paul Walter Hauser Ken Bebe Rexha Tempe Tina Lidia Porto Mrs. Flores Joel McHale Rick Greta Oglesby Mama Josie Eduardo Franco Greg (Cashier) Ben Sidell Man in Line Nneoma Sampson Talk about extreme couponing! Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. On the real Queenpins website, SavvyShopperSite.com, they sold free-product coupons, with the caveat that you must spend at least $50 on coupons per order. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. The acting was solid, though the relatively unknown Paul Walter Hauser stole the movie. No. "I am not spending money!" The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. We dont want people to think its funny. A Loss Prevention Officer and U.S. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. After multiple, very expensive fertility treatment failures, she and her IRS auditor husband (Joel McHale, given nothing to do) are estranged and deeply in debt. The two women in the movie, Connie Kaminski (Kristen Bell) and JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), are not directly based on any of the real-life women.Kristen Bell's character's background of being a former Olympic race walker who turns to couponing after having no luck getting pregnant (and spending tens of thousands on in vitro treatments) is fictional, as is Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character's unsuccessful efforts to make it as a vlogger. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? Queenpins' true story is based on the couponing scam designed by three Arizona women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. Ken is the kind of guy who desperately wants to present himself as a stoic, but when alone, screams in rage. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. She does not seem to take it too seriously, telling us that "this is a story about little old coupons.". There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. A look at what really happened with the characters of Andrew Dominiks 2007 Western epic. The real-life Queenpins: How three Arizona women were busted with $25 MILLION in counterfeit coupons they were selling online - and inspired a new movie starring Kristen Bell 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. They interview people from grocery stores that the ladies frequent, almost all of whom recognize Connie due to her constantly irritating coupon usage, even successfully linking her to the "Savvy Super Saver" website as she uses its slogan while shopping. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. 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. Ken: Yeah no, even if I wanted to switch, I think it's more important that your daughter learn a valuable lesson. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. 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. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. Ramirez, Fountain and Johnson were charged and convicted for running their very own $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme, for which theyre still paying the price and may well be for the rest of their lives. On a message board, one fan raved about paying $7 for a mega pack of Pampers, with no max value meaning a shopper could get more than $50 worth of product free. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. Bell has extensive experience in Broadway, television, and film, leading successful TV series like Veronica Mars and The Good Place. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHO at the time. After he retired from the force, he took what he had learned from this case and others like it to found the Center on Shadow Economics, which works to mitigate the economic impact of black market crimes like counterfeit couponing. Ramirez, then 40, Fountain, then 42, and Johnson, then 54, were arrested andcharged with counterfeiting, forgery, money laundering, operating an illegal enterprise, and other crimes. [4] In September 2020, Kirby Howell-Baptiste joined the cast of the film, replacing Jones, with Ben Stiller joining as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner, with STX Entertainment set to distribute. The three women, Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson, mostly sold free-product coupons. Yes. 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. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life Queenpins? It's very easy to say their words," says Kristen. For her first film since Frozen II (the 10th highest-grossing movie of all-time . She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. 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. At $300 a month, even if she stays current in her payments, it will take more than 120 years to pay off her share of the restitution order. After gathering sufficient evidence, Simon and Ken finally get agents to arrest the pair. [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. But nobody really thought it was a big deal, because, you know, its coupons.. 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Though the pair face forty-years-to-life, the companies that they victimized clandestinely press the courts for leniency to avoid bad press, resulting in ten days imprisonment plus one year of probation for JoJo and eleven months incarceration (parole eligible in eight) for Connie. 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. But thats just Connie and Jojo. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7,S5,S6 S7,S9,A10,A20 A30,A50 So even though the events of nearly a decade ago seem like old news to the rest of us, its something the culprits continue to live with. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. A judge sentenced Ramirez to twenty-four months in prison and seven years probation. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). 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. A reality television series about this trend had an episode on the Arizona coupon case. Annie MumoloasCrystal - Mumolo appears in the minor role of Crystal. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. Dayo OkeniyiasEarl - Okeniyi plays Earl, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which results in a hilarious interrogation scene with Ken and Simon. I have never purchased coupons from a clipping service or an auction site." Okeniyi appeared in The Hunger Games and Run Sweetheart Run, and his next role is in Greek Freak. 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. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Unilever also claimed losses, pointing to five particular coupons that had been founded in Ramirezs home, though a judge ruled that they couldn't prove that the three women were responsible for selling them. 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.. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly did fly to Arizona in 2018 to interview the real detective who worked the case. The CIC and some of its members were on location in a mobile command unit watching the bust." Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam. And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. Which brings us to Queenpins, a based-on-a-true-story comedy about the suburbanite besties behind the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. That's the psychological illogic of coupons, referred to in the movie as the "coupon high." Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. Queenpins is playing in theaters with plans to stream on Paramount+ in the near future. They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons.
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