American man uses ChatGPT to plan bank robbery, gets sentenced to 10 years in federal prison

• A 23-year-old Nebraska man was sentenced to 10 years and one month after robbing a bank at gunpoint.

• Investigators found he had used ChatGPT to research police response times, firearms and ammunition before the robbery.

• Surveillance footage, phone records and physical evidence helped investigators link him to the crime.

A 23-year-old Nebraska man who used ChatGPT to help plan a bank robbery has been sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison after threatening two bank employees at gunpoint and escaping with over $9,000 in cash.

Deron Lewis-Payne walked into i3Bank in Omaha on February 10, 2026, carrying a black semi-automatic handgun. He pointed the weapon at the tellers and told them he would kill them if they did not cooperate, ordering them to empty their cash drawers while specifically warning them not to include any dye packs. The tellers complied, and he left the bank with approximately $9,175.

Investigators began piecing together his identity through surveillance footage. Cameras inside the bank captured his unmasked face and his outfit, including a pair of red Nike slides. Residential cameras nearby recorded both his vehicle and distinguishing features including a toolbox and specific rust spots on the body of the car, along with its registration plate.

When officers examined his phone, the case took a significant turn. Lewis-Payne had used ChatGPT before the robbery to research law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair a handgun, and how to obtain ammunition despite being a convicted felon. His Google Maps history also showed i3Bank as one of his most recent searches.

After leaving the bank, he went to Westroads Mall and used the stolen cash to buy new shoes and clothing. When officers later located him near one of his residences, he fled, dropping banded cash as he ran.

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Searches of his residences turned up a currency band, the vehicle used in the robbery and most of the clothing worn during the incident, including the distinctive red slides. The handgun was never recovered. Of the $9,175 stolen, investigators recovered $2,397.

Lewis-Payne initially admitted to driving the vehicle but denied participating in the robbery. He later pleaded guilty.

At sentencing on August 13, he received 37 months for bank robbery and a consecutive 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, totalling 121 months in federal prison. He will serve five years of supervised release after completing his sentence. Because the conviction is federal, he is ineligible for parole.

The case has drawn attention as one of the more documented examples of AI being used in the planning of a violent crime, even as investigators noted that Lewis-Payne left behind a significant trail of digital and physical evidence despite his preparations.