She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in the. This includes forums and any public viewing areas or websites.". No Offense, But These 2 Big Retailers Aren't The Cheapest Ad MoneyWise. Heres how the real Queenpins counterfeit coupon ring worked: shoppers would purchase the coupons on websites like eBay and/or be invited or referred to the rings personal website, savvyshoppersite.com. 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. 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. Nick CassavetesasCaptain Pain - Cassavetes plays Captain Pain in Queenpins. 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. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. Thats the type of money they had.. 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. 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. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. We dont want people to think they can do this, he said. 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. 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. She spends her free time drinking coffee and trying to resist the urge to buy any new books before reading the many she already owns. 'We were ordering hundreds of dollars in coupons every month,' one anonymous user toldKentuckys WPSD. Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. 110 minutes Cast Kristen Bell Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Paul Walter Hauser Vince Vaughn Joel McHale Bebe Rexha as Tempe Tina Dayo Okeniyi Nick Cassavetes Michael Masini Paul Rust Eduardo Franco Marc Evan Jackson Lidia Porto Greta Oglesby Jack McBrayer Annie Mumolo Director Aron Gaudet They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. See production, box office & company info. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. 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 trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. And thats why they make excuses, he said. They were charged with counterfeiting, forgery, operating an illegal enterprise, money laundering, and other violations. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. She was the only one of the three to receive jail time. 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. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Neither of them responded to requests for comment about their case, and how or whether they have managed to move on from it. Queenpins' cast of characters also includes familiar faces like Bebe Rexha, Vince Vaughn, and Joel McHale in supporting roles. 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.. His filmography contains works such as Face/Off, The Astronaut's Wife, and The Hangover Part II, and he will next be appearing inThe Ogilvy Fortune. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. 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. 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.. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. Goodbye coupons, hello high prices. They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons. 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. , updated From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. Lets break it down. 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. Authorities later estimated that the coupon ring cost corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. He described digging through trash cans, conducting surveillance, and ultimately kicking in the doors of the three womens homes, where they found a treasure trove of evidence coupons, cash, guns, along with what they later discovered was an airplane hangar filled with sports cars, a fully decked-out RV and a 40-foot speedboat. At the time of her arrest, investigators discovered Ramirez had four online accounts and 12 bank accounts. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. In February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. Credit: Courtesy STX Films. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. 17:23 EST 23 Jul 2021 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. It might have been more interesting to have lead police officer on the case a woman, as it was in the actual arrest. Related:Worth Cast & Character Guide: What The Real People Look Like. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. So they may be the first ones to tell you that coupon crime may make for a great Hollywood comedy but in real life, its no laughing matter. Thats why they say Robin Hood, thats why they say the fat cats on Wall Street deserve it, thats why they say these corporations are evil. Not because they believe any of that, but so they dont feel guilty about their own actions. His message to coupon wrongdoers is, yes, you got a good deal. The duo bond on their mission, with Simon sympathizing with Ken's unwavering devotion. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer. The idea started just as a way for their two families to make ends meet as they struggled to pay the bills. [8], In June 2021, Showtime and Paramount+ acquired U.S. pay TV and streaming rights to the film for about $20 million. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. Her next acting roleisfor the movie Confess, Fletch. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. His character represents the law enforcementin charge of tracking down the women responsible. -Daily Mail. 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. One account had more than $2 million dollars. 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. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. Meanwhile, Ken is partnered with U.S. postal inspector Simon Kilmurry. According to Sgt. Once there, buyers would have access to an array of high-dollar coupons. This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. Bell has extensive experience in Broadway, television, and film, leading successful TV series like Veronica Mars and The Good Place. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. A judge sentenced Ramirez to twenty-four months in prison and seven years probation. "We're talking about anywhere from $400 to $600 million in loss," said Officer James Holmes of the Phoenix Police Department. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Some customers became aware of the bust after they tried to use the coupons and they didn't work. In 2012, investigators found millions of dollars worth in forged coupons. 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. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. 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. However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary While JoJo is released on bail, Rick visits Connie only so he can admonish her, having been informed by Simon that she and JoJo have defrauded over 240 companies of tens of millions of dollars. 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. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. 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. 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. 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. 'We used undercover and covert operations to make purchases and to identify the three suspects,' Holmes said. Written and directed byAron GaudetandGita Pullapilly, Queenpins is about two housewives who created a $40 million coupon scam. director of photography Film Editing by Kayla Emter . 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). And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. 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. You don't always get your way. "You are spending money we don't have," her husband says, looking at what was once supposed to be a nursery, now converted into what looks like a grocery warehouse. 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. Procter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. It's not a seamless fit. But thats just Connie and Jojo. No one who purchased coupons faced legal repercussions, but one cant help but think that they are the real losers here. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life Queenpins? David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHO at the time. 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. Queenpins. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. The bare-bones blueprint for the story is accurate; a small group of women make millions selling counterfeit coupons. Two women create a $40 million coupon scam. Her term of probation was recently extended for another five years, after she fell more than $4,000 behind in her restitution payments. Its that simple. 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.. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. Kiara frowned, watching the usually stoic Ame toss and turn in the driver's seat. On the other side we have faceless and barely acknowledged corporations (always a convenient bad guy) and an LPO (loss prevention officer, a fancy title for private security). Instead, Hauser's character is a loss-prevention officer for a grocery store chain. Ramirez, too, declined to respond to requests for comment. Bell plays former Olympian and bored. The coupons are being sent through the mail and the FBI does not take it seriouslybecause it's coupons. A Loss Prevention Officer and U.S. The other queenpin is Connie's neighbor and close friend JoJo (Howell-Baptiste), who was a victim of identity theft that ruined her credit and her ability to apply for jobs. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. 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. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. A reality television series about this trend had an episode on the Arizona coupon case. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. Joel McHaleas Rick Kaminski- McHale plays Connie's husband who is worried about their growing amount of debt. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? David Lake said. Though most of their fraudulent earnings have been confiscated, the pair have hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal activities stashed away, and JoJo starts a relationship with Earl and relocates to Montenegro, a non-extradition country, where the pair can immediately restart the scam upon Connie's release. Autumn has a Master of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University, where she also taught superhero-themed composition courses. 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 other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. One local law enforcement official at the time told the news: The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Connie initially comes up with the couponing scheme, eventuallyteaming up with her friend to help her pull off the biggest coupon scam in U.S. history. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. Kristen Bell, her The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and singer Bebe Rexha are set to star in an upcoming comedy calledQueenpins, in which they play a trio of women who make bank in a coupon counterfeiting scam but the massive real-life fraud that inspired the film was no laughing matter. When Phoenix police seized the counterfeit coupons and the women's assets, they discovered computer records that listed all of the customers who had purchased coupons from the women. 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, 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. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. 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. 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. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? 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. [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. -TIME, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. 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. You cant make this stuff up and the filmmakers didnt have to. Netherlands ($200,244), United Arab Emirates ($123,281), Hungary ($88,609), Croatia ($41,810), Lithuania ($18,354), Iceland ($11,774), South Africa ($5,900) and Portugal ($5,501). 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. That's one reasonbeyond saving moneythe scam was so successful. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. The site's name was inspired by the legit coupon magazine Savvy Shopper, which is in no way related. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. In reality, thewomen seemed to have a better grasp of how to stay under the radar than the movie portrays, which enabled them to avoid police detection for so long. Capitalism always knows how to win. In this film we have one of the world's most adorable people, Kristen Bell, with her delightful "The Good Place" co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two women who almost make a multi-million dollar crime seem cute. 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. This is much more inspired So we dont really know anything about the real players and we kind of didnt want to. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. 17:42 EST 23 Jul 2021. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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). 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. McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. Instead we have LPOKen Miller (Paul Walter Hauser), a dedicated but comically awkward stickler for the rules, who is eventuallyjoined by an investigator from the USPS (Vince Vaughn, nailing just the right mix of exhausted irritation and integrity). Directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the movie stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bebe Rexha. The CIC and some of its members were on location in a mobile command unit watching the bust." 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. she says. You Are Reading :Queenpins Cast And Character Guide Where You Know The Actors From. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. That's the psychological illogic of coupons, referred to in the movie as the "coupon high." After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. David Lake, who was in charge of the coupon investigation at the Phoenix Police Department, "The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type stuff." The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. A quarter of the U.S. will fall inside an extreme heat belt. 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. You can't make this stuff up - and the filmmakers didn't have to. He can next be seen in the movie Delia's Gone. "We knew, based on our research on past films, the more we dig into the real lives, it becomes much more serious, much more dramatic," Pullapilly told the, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. [7], Principal photography began in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. Aron and I were immediately drawn to the story and had to understand it more, Pullapilly said. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. A charge for forgery was dropped. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively. selma alabama mugshots, deaths on highway 1 california,