Man who advertised bank fraud on Instagram gets 9 years in prison
Fraud proceeds funded his lavish lifestyle.
- Chase Matthew Griffin received nine years in federal prison for a $2.8 million bank fraud conspiracy.
- Prosecutors said Griffin used Instagram to recruit accomplices and show off large stacks of cash.
- The scheme used stolen mail checks, altered payees, and quick withdrawals through bank accounts controlled by accomplices.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A member of the Crips street gang who flaunted stacks of cash on Instagram was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a $2.8 million bank fraud scheme.
Chase Matthew Griffin, also known as “Trey”, who had lived in Atlanta, Ontario, and South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on March 5th.
He was sentenced in Los Angeles federal court on July 16th and ordered to pay $307,386 in restitution.
Between 2022 and September 2025, Griffin participated in a criminal conspiracy, according to prosecutors. Together with his associates, he obtained checks stolen from the mail and then altered them or created counterfeit copies to make them appear payable to people working with him.
He used Instagram to recruit accomplices, often posting photos of himself holding stacks of cash that were more than one foot high. The criminal targeted accomplices who would let him use their bank accounts.
After recruiting an accomplice, Griffin and his co-conspirators deposited fraudulent checks, typically worth tens of thousands of dollars, into those accounts.
They would then rush to withdraw the money before the bank detects fraud and split the proceeds to fund their lavish lifestyle. According to prosecutors, for Griffin, that included a rented ranch home, jet travel, and partying at casinos.
One example of the scheme cited by prosecutors was a December 2023 case when a North Hollywood business owner reported to authorities that the business had mailed three checks totaling approximately $85,000 from a United States Postal Service collection box in Tarzana.
The checks were stolen, never reaching the recipient, and deposited into JPMorgan Chase accounts belonging to Griffin’s accomplices, according to prosecutors. It was later found that the stolen checks had been altered with different payees.
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Prosecutors said the funds were quickly withdrawn and spent through cash withdrawals, Zelle and Cash App payments, a plane ticket, and card purchases at a San Bernardino County casino. Law enforcement later traced the scheme to Griffin.
The investigation was led by the US Postal Inspection Service with support from the Upland Police Department.
