Monday, August 24, 2026 - A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, who used ChatGPT to plan 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.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the
sentence, saying District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced
Lewis-Payne to 37 months for the robbery and an additional 84 months for
brandishing the firearm. The sentences will run consecutively.
There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Upon his release, Lewis-Payne will serve five years of
supervised release.
According to court documents, Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank at
15645 Spaulding Street, Omaha, on February 10, 2026, brandishing a black
semi-automatic handgun and demanding money from two bank employees.
He pointed the firearm at the tellers and threatened to k!ll
them if they failed to comply. He ordered them to empty their cash drawers and
warned them not to include dye packs.
The tellers complied, and Lewis-Payne fled with
approximately $9,175 in cash.
Bank surveillance footage captured his unmasked face and
distinctive clothing, including red Nike slides. The footage also clearly
showed the handgun he used.
Residential surveillance cameras near the bank captured the
vehicle used in the robbery, including its registration plates and distinctive
features such as a toolbox and specific rust spots.
Investigators later determined through surveillance footage
and transaction records from retailers at Westroads Mall that Lewis-Payne went
on a shopping spree after the robbery, using cash to purchase shoes and
clothing.
When officers later located him near one of his residences,
he fled, leaving banded cash behind.
A search of his residences uncovered another currency band,
the vehicle used in the robbery and most of the clothing he wore 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 in planning the robbery.
According to the US Department of Justice, his use of the AI
chatbot included seeking information about law enforcement response times, how
to strip and repair a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun, and how to obtain ammunition
as 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
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