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A 23-year-old Nebraska man, Deron Lewis-Payne, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after robbing a bank at gunpoint and using ChatGPT while preparing for the crime. He was sentenced on August 13, 2026, after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentences will run consecutively, followed by five years of supervised release.
Lewis-Payne robbed i3Bank in Omaha on February 10, threatening two employees with a handgun before escaping with about $9,175. Investigators later reviewed his phone and discovered that he had used ChatGPT to seek information related to the planned robbery. Surveillance footage also helped investigators identify him and the vehicle used in the crime.
The US Justice Department said officers recovered $2,397 of the stolen money along with clothing and other evidence from searches of his residences. The firearm used in the robbery was not recovered. Federal prosecutors noted that Lewis-Payne will not be eligible for parole, as parole is not available in the US federal prison system.
