Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Bank Robbery Planned With ChatGPT

A 23-year-old man in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after robbing a bank at gunpoint and using ChatGPT to help plan the crime.

Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, according to a statement issued on August 19 by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.

The US Justice Department said Lewis-Payne received 37 months for bank robbery and 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentences will run consecutively.

He will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.

The incident occurred on February 10 when Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank in Omaha carrying a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded money from two employees.

“He pointed the handgun at the tellers and told them he would kill them if they did not comply,” the Justice Department said.

The department said he ordered the employees to empty their cash drawers and warned them “not to include any dye packs with the cash.”

The employees complied, allowing Lewis-Payne to escape with approximately $9,175.

Investigators later used surveillance footage from the bank and nearby residential cameras to identify Lewis-Payne and the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery.

“i3 Bank surveillance captured his unmasked face and distinctive outfit, including red Nike slides,” the department said.

Residential surveillance cameras also captured the vehicle, including its registration plate and “distinctive features to include a toolbox and particular rust spots.”

Investigators subsequently examined Lewis-Payne’s phone and discovered that he had used ChatGPT while preparing for the robbery.

“Officers examined the contents and determined Lewis-Payne used ChatGPT to plan the robbery,” the Justice Department said.

According to the department, his queries 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 felon.

His Google Maps history also showed that he had searched for directions to i3Bank.

After the robbery, Lewis-Payne went on a shopping spree at Westroads Mall, where he used cash to buy shoes and clothing.

Officers later located him near one of his residences, but he fled, “abandoning banded cash in his wake,” according to the Justice Department.

A search of his residences uncovered another currency band, the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery and most of the clothing he wore during the incident, including the red Nike slides.

Lewis-Payne admitted to driving the vehicle but denied participating in the robbery.

The handgun used in the robbery was never recovered, while investigators recovered $2,397 of the $9,175 stolen from the bank.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The US Justice Department noted that there is no parole in the federal prison system.

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