ChatGPT-Using Bank Robber Sentenced to 121 Months in US Prison

A Nebraska man who turned to ChatGPT while preparing for a bank robbery has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the crime.

Deron Lewis-Payne, 23, of Omaha, was handed a 121-month federal prison sentence on August 13, 2026, after admitting to robbing a bank and brandishing a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun during a crime of violence.

US Attorney Lesley A. Woods said District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Lewis-Payne to 37 months for the robbery and 84 additional months for brandishing the firearm. The two sentences will run consecutively.

Because the federal prison system does not provide parole, Lewis-Payne will also spend five years on supervised release after leaving prison.

Court records show that on February 10, 2026, Lewis-Payne walked into i3Bank at 15645 Spaulding Street in Omaha armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.

He demanded money from two tellers, pointed the firearm at them and threatened to kill them if they failed to obey his instructions. He directed the employees to empty their cash drawers and told them not to hand over any dye packs.

The employees complied, allowing him to escape with about $9,175.

However, investigators quickly obtained evidence from surveillance systems. Bank cameras recorded Lewis-Payne’s unmasked face, the clothing he was wearing and the red Nike slides that later became a key identifying detail. The handgun was also visible in the footage.

Nearby residential cameras captured the vehicle used to flee the scene, including its registration plates and distinctive characteristics such as a toolbox and particular rust spots.

Investigators subsequently reviewed surveillance footage and retailer transaction records from Westroads Mall and determined that Lewis-Payne spent some of the stolen money on shoes and clothes shortly after the robbery.

When police later found him close to one of his residences, he ran away and abandoned banded cash.

A search of his residences uncovered another currency band, the getaway vehicle and much of the clothing worn during the robbery, including the red Nike slides.

Lewis-Payne admitted that he had been driving the vehicle but initially rejected claims that he was responsible for the robbery.

That changed after he consented to a search of his phone. Investigators said they discovered evidence that he had used ChatGPT to help plan the robbery.

The US Department of Justice said his queries to the AI chatbot included questions about law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun and how to obtain ammunition despite being a convicted felon.

His Google Maps history also showed that he had recently looked up directions to i3Bank.

Although investigators did not recover the handgun used in the robbery, they recovered $2,397 of the approximately $9,175 taken from the bank.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

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