A member of the Los Angeles Crips who overtly posted images of himself on Instagram holding stacks of money whereas promoting a financial institution fraud scheme was sentenced to 9 years in federal jail for the $2.8 million rip-off.
Chase Matthew Griffin, a.okay.a. “Trey,” used Instagram to lure accomplices who gave him entry to their financial institution accounts, the place deposited solid checks and made off with the loot.
Griffin, 26, who got here from Atlanta but in addition resided in Ontario and South Los Angeles, was sentenced in Los Angeles federal courtroom Thursday and likewise ordered to pay $307,386 in restitution.
The fraudster pled responsible on March 5 to 1 rely of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud. He has been in federal custody since September 2025.
Prosecutors mentioned Griffin participated in a legal conspiracy that began in 2022, during which he and his associates obtained checks stolen from the mail after which altered them or created counterfeit variations, so that they gave the impression to be payable to accomplices.
Griffin recruited these accomplices on-line, usually via Instagram, the place he posted images of himself holding towering stacks of money. He marketed for holders of varied financial institution accounts to present him entry to these accounts.
After he recruited an confederate, Griffin and his crew deposited the fraudulent checks, usually for tens of hundreds of {dollars}, into the checking account after which raced to withdraw the funds earlier than the financial institution may detect the fraud.
Griffin used the cash to bankroll a high-flying way of life that included a ranch residence with a $15,00-per-month lease, jet journey and partying at casinos, prosecutors mentioned. Social media pics of the criminal confirmed him posing with a BMW and a Rolls Royce.
A case from December 2023 reveals how the rip-off went down,
A North Hollywood enterprise proprietor reported to legislation enforcement that the enterprise had mailed three checks totaling roughly $85,000 from a United States Postal Service assortment field in Tarzana.
The checks had been stolen earlier than they had been delivered to their meant recipient after which deposited into JPMorgan Chase accounts belonging to Griffin’s accomplices, prosecutors mentioned.
A legislation enforcement assessment of a Chase checking account the place a kind of checks was deposited revealed a earlier deposit of roughly $22,487 made at an ATM in Upland.
This verify, together with one other for about $29,081, was stolen and used to create counterfeit variations with the identical date, verify quantity, and quantity as the unique, however with completely different payees.
The cash was shortly withdrawn from the account and used for ATM withdrawals, Zelle and CashApp funds, a aircraft ticket, and card purchases at a San Bernardino County on line casino, in keeping with prosecutors.
The scheme lastly unraveled after investigators flipped an confederate of Griffin’s and satisfied the particular person to cooperate with legislation enforcement, courtroom paperwork present.
In late 2023, Griffin labored with the cooperating witness to deposit three fraudulent checks price $199,097.27 right into a JPMorgan Chase account belonging to the witness.
The snitch, who knew Griffin solely as “Trey,” offered data that led investigators to the fraudster, together with textual content message between the 2.
“Inside the textual content messages was a photograph despatched to the witness with Griffin’s tattooed hand holding a receipt for an ATM deposit of a verify within the quantity of $22,487.29 and the witness’ JPMorgan Chase debit card,” the courtroom papers state.
Griffin recruited his accomplices with a pair of Instagram accounts bearing the handles Treytimes3 and Treytimes3_, during which he posed with giant quantities of money and weapons. In different images he stood in entrance of ATM machines and held ATM receipts.
One story posted below the Treytimes3_ deal with learn: “In case you don’t put a Chase in my hand by 4pm right now you’re actually an fool,” in an obvious request for a JPMorgan Chase accountholder to reply, prosecutors mentioned.
One other picture posted to the account from the within of a Rolls Royce vehicle contained the textual content: “Each Chase in la name me rn Subsequent day 20-90k.”
On July 16, 2025, Griffin was arrested at a visitors cease in Conyers, Georgia, with roughly 303 grams of marijuana, a scale, and a firearm, however was subsequently launched.
Authorities later that 12 months took him again into custody. An investigation into his co-conspirators stays ongoing.
