A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, who used ChatGPT while planning a bank robbery has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for robbing a bank and brandishing a firearm during the crime.
Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun during a crime of violence.
US Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the sentence, stating that District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Lewis-Payne to 37 months for the bank robbery and an additional 84 months for brandishing the firearm. The sentences will be served consecutively.
There is no parole in the federal prison system. Following his release, Lewis-Payne will also serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank at 15645 Spaulding Street in Omaha on February 10, 2026, while carrying a black semi-automatic handgun. He allegedly pointed the weapon at two bank employees and demanded money, threatening to kill them if they failed to comply.
He ordered the tellers to empty their cash drawers and instructed them not to include dye packs. The employees complied, allowing him to escape with approximately $9,175 in cash.
Surveillance footage inside the bank captured Lewis-Payne’s unmasked face, distinctive clothing and the firearm used in the robbery, including a pair of red Nike slides.
Residential surveillance cameras near the bank also captured the vehicle he allegedly used, including its registration plates and distinctive features such as a toolbox and specific rust marks.
Investigators later determined that Lewis-Payne went on a shopping spree at Westroads Mall following the robbery, using cash to purchase shoes and clothing.
When officers eventually located him near one of his residences, he fled and left behind banded cash. A subsequent search of his residences uncovered another currency band, the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery and most of the clothing he was wearing during the crime, including the distinctive red Nike slides.
Although Lewis-Payne admitted driving the vehicle, he initially denied involvement in the robbery.
He later consented to a search of his phone, which investigators said revealed that he had used ChatGPT while planning the crime.
According to the US Department of Justice, his searches involving the AI chatbot included questions about law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair the firearm and how to obtain ammunition despite being a convicted felon.
Investigators also found that his Google Maps history showed that he had recently searched for directions to i3Bank.
The firearm used in the robbery was not recovered. However, investigators recovered $2,397 of the approximately $9,175 stolen from the bank.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).