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Queenpins. They also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly's Queenpins concerns two Arizona suburbanites, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby . Ame shielded her eyes from the sunlight, "It's just that it's been a while since I've been on duty at daytime.". Analysts Predict More Deals in the Grocery Store This Year, Savings Apps Are All the Rage This One Most of All, Grocery Shoppers Shrug Off A Tumultuous Year, Couponer Is Dealt A Final Setback In Decade-Old Dispute. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. 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. The scheme came crashing down after forty businesses, including major companies like Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, and PepsiCo, filed fraud complaints. No Offense, But These 2 Big Retailers Aren't The Cheapest Ad MoneyWise. That's one reasonbeyond saving moneythe scam was so successful. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Her sacrifices have never been appreciated and she has been overlooked by her husband Rick, an IRS senior audit specialist, her loved ones and the rest of society. According to Time magazine, they went undercover and purchased coupons as part of their effort to locate the source. Some movies are based on true stories, some movies are inspired by true stories. 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. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. She was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by seven years probation. Here . 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.. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Thecomedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. A trailer released this month shows how a suburban housewife (Bell) and her coupon vlogger friend (Howell-Baptiste) come up with a scheme to sell fake coupons online, earning them millions of dollars while contributing to costly losses for brands like Proctor & Gamble andUnilever. But thats just Connie and Jojo. 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. Yes. However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins Trailer: Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste Are the Robin Hood of Coupons (Video), Netflixs The Sandman TV Series Casts Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. 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. The trail led to the Arizona coupon ring located in Phoenix. [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. But thats just Connie and Jojo. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Authorities later estimated that the coupon ring cost corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. So will Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson be going to see Queenpins this weekend? None of the characters are based on the real individuals involved, Gaudet told Coupons in the News. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. 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. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. 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. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. They'd then sell them on eBay and a website, SavvyShopperSite, for a profit. 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. 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. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows" (Yahoo Finance). They may also expose themselves to additional risk by providing their names, home addresses, and financial information to organized crime rings." The coupons are being sent through the mail and the FBI does not take it seriouslybecause it's coupons. 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. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. Procter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. "[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. Queenpins' true story is based on the couponing scam designed by three Arizona women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. Judge Daniel Martin sentenced her to 24 months, as well as seven years probation. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. 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. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. Queenpins' cast of characters also includes familiar faces like Bebe Rexha, Vince Vaughn, and Joel McHale in supporting roles. Rexha's character helps Connie and JoJo evade the authorities, mainly by strengthening their internet security. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. 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. A real disc jockey inspired Robin Williams classic character. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? Bell has extensive experience in Broadway, television, and film, leading successful TV series like Veronica Mars and The Good Place. -TIME, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. Mugshots of the real women behind Queenpins are displayed below. No. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. "We're talking about anywhere from $400 to $600 million in loss," said Officer James Holmes of the Phoenix Police Department. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. The details were first revealed after a Tuesday morning raid in July 2012 by the Phoenix Arizona Police Department. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. Connie, JoJo, Simon (Vince Vaughn) and Ken (Paul Walter Hauser) arewhat Aron and I feelwhat we're all often feeling in this life: undervalued and discounted. Not only does Arizona state law forbid convicted criminals from profiting by selling their story, but writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly have emphasized that their story is an entirely fictional version of the real thing. Alienated by her uninspiring existence being unemployed and having suffered a miscarriage in an attempt to conceive a child, Connie commiserates with her best friend Joanna "JoJo" Johnson, who has been unable to secure proper employment since having her identity stolen and thus lives with her mother Josephine, attempting to generate revenue by making YouTube videos while being amorously pursued by the local mailman, Earl. Two women create a $40 million coupon scam. 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. However, Ken Miller, a hapless loss prevention officer for the A&G Family Marts stores in the Southwestern United States, learns about the coupons and the losses several companies are taking, and pressures his superiors before ultimately deciding to handle the case himself. Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon Caper By: Shanee Edwards Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson and Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski in QUEENPINS. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com 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. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. 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. This film wasn't deep, and at times it stretched credibility, but it was fun and engaging. Yes. It's unclear if their real-life counterparts,Ramirez, Fountain, and Johnson, had such charitable aspirations when they started their illicitenterprise. Joel McHaleas Rick Kaminski- McHale plays Connie's husband who is worried about their growing amount of debt. [8], In June 2021, Showtime and Paramount+ acquired U.S. pay TV and streaming rights to the film for about $20 million. The fake coupon game isnt a joke. Lets break it down. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Woman on Plane: Hey sorry, uhm, would you mind if we switched seats, just for this last part? Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. 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. The trios many customers never faced charges but they might have. The postal inspector tells Connie it's 1 year for every $100,000 earned fraudulently and that she's looking at 40 years. Those are intriguing issues but themovie is less interested in exploring them than it is giving the queenpins makeovers and silly plot detours involving a militia and extended scatological humor. However, they quickly learned that with a little crime, they could actually make money off of it. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. We dont want people to think they can do this, he said. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. A quarter of the U.S. will fall inside an extreme heat belt. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. But its funny that its gotten so much attention, Lake said. (67) 6.3 1 h 50 min 2021 X-Ray R. A suburban homemaker and her best friend turn a hobby into a multi-million-dollar counterfeit coupon caper. These are free item coupons,' Police Sgt. Talk about extreme couponing! No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars.