Matilda Omonaiye/
A 23-year-old American man who used ChatGPT while planning an armed bank robbery has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after investigators found evidence of his preparations on his mobile phone.
Deron Lewis-Payne, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 13, 2026, to 121 months (10 years and one month) in prison for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska announced the sentence on August 19.
US District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. handed Lewis-Payne 37 months for the bank robbery and a consecutive 84 months for brandishing a firearm during the crime.
There is no parole in the US federal prison system. Lewis-Payne will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
According to the US Department of Justice, Lewis-Payne walked into the i3Bank on Spaulding Street in Omaha on February 10, 2026, carrying a black semi-automatic handgun.
He pointed the weapon at two bank employees, threatened to kill them if they failed to cooperate and ordered them to empty their cash drawers. He also warned the tellers not to include dye packs with the money.
He fled with approximately $9,175. But investigators said Lewis-Payne left behind a trail of evidence that eventually linked him to the robbery.
Bank surveillance cameras captured his unmasked face, the handgun and his distinctive clothing, which included red Nike slides. Residential surveillance cameras near the bank also recorded the vehicle used in the robbery, capturing its licence plates, toolbox and distinctive rust marks.
Authorities said Lewis-Payne subsequently went on a shopping spree at Westroads Mall, using cash to purchase shoes and clothing.
When officers later found him near one of his residences, he fled on foot, dropping banded cash as he ran.
Searches of his residences uncovered another currency band, the vehicle used during the robbery and much of the clothing captured on the bank’s surveillance cameras, including the distinctive red Nike slides.
Lewis-Payne admitted driving the vehicle but initially denied taking part in the robbery.
Investigators said the case took another turn when he consented to a search of his mobile phone.
According to the Justice Department, officers examining the device found evidence showing that Lewis-Payne had used ChatGPT while planning the robbery, including seeking information about law-enforcement response times and matters relating to the handgun and ammunition.
His Google Maps history also showed a recent search for directions to i3Bank.
Authorities recovered $2,397 of the stolen $9,175, while the handgun used in the robbery was never recovered.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
The case has attracted international attention because of Lewis-Payne’s use of artificial intelligence during his preparations for the crime.
However, contrary to some social-media headlines suggesting that he was jailed simply for “using ChatGPT to plan a bank robbery,” the official record shows that Lewis-Payne was convicted and sentenced for the armed bank robbery itself and for brandishing a firearm during the offence. His ChatGPT activity formed part of the digital evidence investigators said linked his preparations to the crime.
The 121-month sentence and the ChatGPT evidence are officially confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The DOJ also confirms that the FBI investigated the case, $2,397 was recovered, and the firearm was never found.
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