queenpins real characters

And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. But thats just Connie and Jojo. The coupons are being sent through the mail and the FBI does not take it seriouslybecause it's coupons. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively. The leader, Ramirez, pleaded guilty to fraud, counterfeiting, and illegal control of an enterprise. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. Bud Miller is thought to have loosely inspired Paul Walter Hauser's character in the movie, Ken Miller. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. Yes. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. she says. These are free item coupons,' Police Sgt. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. On the case to bust them: a supermarket's. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly did fly to Arizona in 2018 to interview the real detective who worked the case. 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. The opening scenes show Bell's character getting arrested before a flashback to explain what happened. 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. 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.. "[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. As one law enforcement official put it, these were not the fifty-cents-off coupons one might find in their mailbox. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Yes, a bear actually did consumer millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? 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. 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. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. 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. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). The fake coupon game isnt a joke. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. In 2012, investigators found millions of dollars worth in forged coupons. "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. However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. "These aren't 50-cent-off coupons. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. 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. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. Some customers became aware of the bust after they tried to use the coupons and they didn't work. 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." From left, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. That's the psychological illogic of coupons, referred to in the movie as the "coupon high." Ramirez, the ringleader, was the only one sentenced to prison time two years while her counterparts got probation. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. This installment focuses on the true story behind the crime comedy Queenpins. 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. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. Of course, the trailer also shows them later living in luxury and boarding private jets. Neither of them responded to requests for comment about their case, and how or whether they have managed to move on from it. When we use coupons, we feel like we're getting away with something, like we're smart and special. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. Savvy Shopper Site had a few other suspicious requirements. 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. 'Sometimes I would come out with three carts of groceries.'. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. Instead, Hauser's character is a loss-prevention officer for a grocery store chain. By mail. 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. 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. The group would have fake coupons made oversees, including reproductions of legitimate coupons and made-up ones with steep savings. 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. Queenpinsdebuted in theaters on September 10, 2021. 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. Queenpins' cast of characters also includes familiar faces like Bebe Rexha, Vince Vaughn, and Joel McHale in supporting roles. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. They don't call it robbery; they prefer "removing" or "separating.". It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. [7], Principal photography began in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. He has been commended by the FBI for supporting them in numerous efforts to fight "complex coupon fraud schemes." Its that simple. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. "[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". 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. 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. Judge Daniel Martin sentenced her to 24 months, as well as seven years probation. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. 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. The last 20 minutes lose sight of whatever point they are trying to make beyond the fun of seeing people get away with breaking the rules. 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. Having had enough of his lack of support, she declares that she wants a divorce. 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. While the characters in Queenpins are fictional, the crime they came up with is the real deal. Joel McHaleas Rick Kaminski- McHale plays Connie's husband who is worried about their growing amount of debt. I'd recommend this film for unwinding on a Friday night after a long week. Summary: Amelia Watson, a senior but loose cannon, problem child detective of City PD, has to prevent a war. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. 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. Now, with their story back in the spotlight, theres no escaping it, even nearly ten years later. Had their deals been a little worse, maybe the women would have never gotten caught. Autumn Cejer is a Movie/TV Features Writer for Screen Rant. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. She has also worked on soundtracks for movies like Abominable and, most recently, He's All That. By In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. For her first film since Frozen II (the 10th highest-grossing movie of all-time . And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? 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. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com But during Proctor & Gamble'sroutine audits ofthird-party coupon processors, the discovered fakes in circulation and hired private investigators to do some more digging. A real disc jockey inspired Robin Williams classic character. The bare-bones blueprint for the story is accurate; a small group of women make millions selling counterfeit coupons. 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 also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. 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 trios many customers never faced charges but they might have. Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. The ringleader, Robin Ramirez, started selling bogus coupons as far back as 2007, and was eventually joined by accomplices Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain. 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. The women guaranteed a one-hundred-percent return rate if a store rejected one of their coupons. 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. Included in the seizures were $25,000,000 worth of fake coupons, 22 assault weapons, and 21 vehicles including a 40 foot boat. Shecan next be seen in the indie film Silent Night and later inThe Sandman TV series. She portrays a fictional computer hacker named Tempe Tina, who helps the two main characters with their coupon scam. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. Once there, buyers would have access to an array of high-dollar coupons. 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. You don't always get your way. But court records indicate that she has not quite been able to put this case behind her. Authorities also seized twenty-two assault weapons and twenty-one vehicles, including a forty-foot boat, in the raid. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. 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. Thecomedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. 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. This happened after various companies that had been impacted by the bogus coupons hired private investigators to uncover the origins of the coupons. Counterfeit Coupon Ringleader Pleads Guilty - Coupons in the News, Woman spends $600 on SavvyShopperSite.com fake coupons - Jill Cataldo. Queenpins: Dirigido por Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly. 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. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. Instead, he becomes highly frustrated when the FBI blows off his concerns. Ramirez, too, declined to respond to requests for comment. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. 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). -Investigative Consultants. Lets break it down. The three women, Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson, mostly sold free-product coupons. 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 . "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". But thats just Connie and Jojo. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? 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 was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Related:Free Guy Cast, Characters & All Cameos Guide. Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha makes her feature film debut in the Queenpins movie. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. 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. A bright spot is Bebe Rexha as a dark web expert who helps Connie and Jojo launder their money. And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly's Queenpins concerns two Arizona suburbanites, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby . And it does seem like Queenpinswill take a comedic look at the inequality underpinning the counterfeit coupon market. 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. 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. 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. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. Ramirez, Fountain and Johnson are now having to live with what they did. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. 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. Here . 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. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. At the time of her arrest, investigators discovered Ramirez had four online accounts and 12 bank accounts. Follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter. It isvery pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? 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. 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. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. The cast, with Kristen Bell and Paul Walter Hauser, is outstanding The Arizona women, Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, pleaded guilty, Ramirez to. Talk about extreme couponing! Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. 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. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. 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. They may also expose themselves to additional risk by providing their names, home addresses, and financial information to organized crime rings." Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit 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. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. The scheme came crashing down after forty businesses, including major companies like Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, and PepsiCo, filed fraud complaints. Coupon enthusiast Jill Cataldo warns, "Even though many places sell coupons online, you should never buy them. (edited by) Casting By Ben Harris Allison Jones Production Design by Jennifer Klide Art Direction by Adri Siriwatt Costume Design by Julie Carnahan Makeup Department Production Management Mike Upton . Then-forty-year-old Robin Ramirez led the group, which included Marilyn Johnson, then-fifty-four, and Amiko Amy Fountain, then-forty-two. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. One account had more than $2 million dollars. The character mainly functions to forward the plot and as the other half of the "buddy-cop" duo with Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser). They'd then sell them on eBay and a website, SavvyShopperSite, for a profit. 'Queenpins' Review: Suburban Scammers Two cash-strapped neighbors devise a multimillion-dollar coupon swindle in this mildly entertaining comedy. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash.

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