Chase Matthew Griffin, a 26-year-old member of the South L.A.Crips street gang, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a $2.8 million bank fraud scheme.Prosecutors revealed that Griffin used Instagram to recruit accomplices, advertising for individuals with bank accounts to grant him access.The scheme involved stealing checks from the mail, altering them, or creating counterfeit versions to appear payable to recruited accomplices.

Griffin and co-conspirators would deposit fraudulent checks into accomplices' accounts and race to withdraw funds before banks detected the fraud.

In one case, checks worth $84,490 sent to a North Hollywood business were deposited into a JPMorgan Chase account and later converted into counterfeit checks with altered payees.The stolen funds were quickly withdrawn via ATMs, digital transfers, and purchases at a San Bernardino County casino.Griffin pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was ordered to pay $307,386 in restitution.His sentencing highlights the growing threat of social media-enabled financial crimes and gang-related activities in Southern California.