Overview
- U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton sentenced Chase Matthew Griffin on Thursday to nine years in federal prison and ordered $307,386 in restitution for his role in a scheme prosecutors say totaled about $2.8 million.
- According to court records and the plea agreement, the conspiracy began in 2022 and used stolen mail checks that were altered or counterfeited and then deposited into third‑party bank accounts.
- Griffin recruited account holders on Instagram by posting images of cash and luxury items, then deposited fraudulent checks into those recruited accounts and quickly withdrew funds by ATM, Zelle, Cash App and card purchases to evade detection.
- The case unraveled after investigators flipped an accomplice who provided texts and photos linking Griffin to ATM deposits; prosecutors also relied on bank records and recovered transaction trails to tie spending to the scheme.
- The Justice Department said investigations into Griffin’s co‑conspirators remain active, and the case highlights a wider pattern of mail theft, check alteration and social‑media recruitment of account “mules.”