Janelle Monáe to Star in Thriller Based on Tanya Smith’s $40 Million Scam
Janelle Monáe is set to portray a cunning con artist in an upcoming Universal Pictures film, as reported by Variety. This untitled thriller is based on the true story of Tanya Smith, a remarkably underestimated swindler who executed a $40 million fraud. The movie will be adapted from Smith’s memoir, Never Saw Me Coming, with Universal Pictures securing the adaptation rights. Monáe’s production company, Wondaland Pictures, will produce the film, and Smith will serve as an executive producer. The film depicts Monáe’s Smith masterminding heists, amassing immense wealth, and eluding law enforcement.
The Rise of a Mastermind
In her memoir, Never Saw Me Coming, Smith details an early fascination with race and wealth. Her initial ventures involved “social engineering,” where she would deceive bank tellers into disclosing account balances. After perfecting these smaller scams, she discovered methods to “void utility bills” and even “handle overdue mortgages” as a teenager, according to her memoir. These white-collar crimes funded a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles.
The FBI eventually began to investigate her activities, but, according to the project’s official press release via Variety, they reportedly “refused to believe a Black woman could be the architect of such sophisticated crimes.” This underestimation allowed her to pull off her largest scam: tapping into bank reserve funds and initiating fraudulent wire transfers.
Arrest, Imprisonment, and Escape
Smith’s run eventually ended with her arrest in 1986, leading to a 13-year prison sentence. This was considered a particularly harsh sentence, as a 2017 study indicates that white-collar crimes “frequently sentence well below the fraud guideline.” In her memoir, Smith attributes the length of her sentence to racism, recounting an FBI officer allegedly stating that “neeee-grroes murder, steal and rob, but they don’t have the brains to commit sophisticated crimes like this.” During her incarceration, Smith escaped twice and gave birth twice.
Life After Prison
Following a protracted legal battle, Smith was released in May 1999. She is currently “enjoying the peace of suburban motherhood,” as she revealed to the Guardian in August.
Janelle Monáe’s Career Highlights
Monáe’s filmography includes acclaimed roles in *Moonlight*, *Hidden Figures*, *Harriet*, and *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery*. Most recently on television, she participated in a Grammy tribute to Quincy Jones, performing a moonwalk to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
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