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Follow Up to Phoenix Police Coupon Fraud Ring Bust

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It was the largest fraudulent coupon ring bust in US history; yesterday Phoenix Police arrested three Phoenix women for their roles in the distribution of counterfeit coupons. “Operation Supercoupon” was an eight week investigation, spear headed by Bud Miller, the executive director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) which is a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping the sale and spread of fraudulent coupons.

Today we have more information from family members of two of the suspects in this case, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko Fountain; Robin Ramirez made no comments. Marilyn Johnson is a retired special education teacher who, according to her husband Arthur Johnson, hasn’t had so much as a speeding ticket. He states that his wife was arrested at their small south Phoenix home where they run a small dog breeding business. Arthur Johnson states only in the last four months did his wife begin working for Ramirez, sorting and packing coupons once or twice a week in exchange for free coupons. They were told Ramirez got the coupons through a non-profit organization and they believed the coupons were legitimate.

A relative of Amiko Fountain stated she is an honest person that could not have known about this scheme because she never benefited financially. In fact, she is a chiropractor who has been struggling financially and even had to borrow money shortly before her arrest.

Phoenix Police say the coupons were actually coming from overseas and Ramirez was selling them online in what has now become the first counterfeiting and forgery case of its kind in the US. Johnson has secured an attorney and Fountain is waiting to be appointed a public defender. All three women are currently being held at the Estrella County Jail.

 

Phoenix Police Bust Nationwide Coupon Fraud Ring

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Today Phoenix Police announced they had made arrests and confiscated $25 million in fraudulent coupons. After conducting an eight week investigation, three people have been arrested: Marilyn Johnson, Robin Ramirez and Amiko Fountain. Ramirez was the ring leader and Amiko and Fountain were her “helpers”. In addition to the counterfeit coupons, police were also able to confiscate $2 million worth of assets that included $240,000 in vehicles, 22 guns, a 40-foot speed boat and other assets. The assets which were seized are alleged to have come from proceeds of the coupon fraud.

The fraudulent coupons were being sold via the savvyshopersite.com and all of the coupons were for “free” items. Once purchased from that site, many of the coupons may have made their way further out via the internet through sites such as Ebay.com where more and more consumers were able to obtain the coupons and then use them. The end result is losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars for some product manufacturer’s, retail stores and consumers.

The Coupon Information Corporation was instrumental in the investigation and Bud Miller, the executive director of the CIC, was on hand to issue a statement.

“This particular case has cost manufacturers, retailers and consumers, particularly members of the Ebay community, tens of millions of dollars. On that note I’d like to thank the Phoenix Police Department, who made this case possible. It has national ramifications and international ramifications.”

This was the largest counterfeit coupon bust in the nation so far.

You can watch the KPHO Phoenix/CBS 5 news cast below.