A member of the Los Angeles Crips has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a $2.8 million bank fraud scheme that he advertised on Instagram. Chase Matthew Griffin, also known as "Trey," pleaded guilty on March 5 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and has been in federal custody since September 2025.
Griffin, 26, who resided in Atlanta, Ontario, and South Los Angeles, was sentenced in Los Angeles federal court and ordered to pay $307,386 in restitution. Prosecutors stated that Griffin participated in a criminal conspiracy that began in 2022, involving altered or counterfeit checks stolen from the mail.
He used Instagram to find accomplices, posting photos of himself holding large sums of cash to lure individuals into giving him access to their bank accounts. Griffin and his associates would then deposit fraudulent checks, often for tens of thousands of dollars, and withdraw the funds before banks could detect the scheme.
Prosecutors said Griffin financed a lavish lifestyle with the proceeds, including a home with a $15,000 monthly lease, private jet travel, and casino visits. Social media posts showed him with luxury cars.
One instance of the fraud detailed in court documents involved a North Hollywood business owner who reported that three checks totaling approximately $85,000 were stolen after being mailed from a U.S. Postal Service collection box. These checks were deposited into JPMorgan Chase accounts belonging to Griffin's accomplices.
An investigation revealed that one of these checks, along with another for approximately $29,081, was stolen and used to create counterfeit versions. The funds were quickly withdrawn through ATM withdrawals, Zelle, and CashApp payments, with some used for a plane ticket and purchases at a casino.
The scheme began to unravel when investigators persuaded an accomplice of Griffin's to cooperate. In late 2023, this cooperating witness provided information, including text messages and a photograph of Griffin's tattooed hand holding an ATM deposit receipt, which led investigators to the fraudster.
Griffin's Instagram accounts, under the handles Treytimes3 and Treytimes3_, featured posts with cash, firearms, and messages soliciting bank account holders. One post read, "If you don’t put a Chase in my hand by 4pm today you’re literally an idiot," while another stated, "Every Chase in la call me rn Next day 20-90k."
Griffin was arrested in Conyers, Georgia, on July 16, 2025, during a traffic stop where marijuana, a scale, and a firearm were found. He was later taken back into custody. Investigations into his co-conspirators are ongoing.