A 23-year-old Omaha, Nebraska man who used ChatGPT to plan a bank robbery has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after he robbed a bank at gunpoint and threatened two employees with death.

🇳🇬 Here's What Happened

Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska in a statement published on August 19 and cited by our correspondent on Monday.

The US Justice Department said Lewis-Payne received 37 months for bank robbery and another 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, with the sentences to run consecutively. He will also serve five years of supervised release after his imprisonment.

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.

📌 Key Details

“He pointed the handgun at the tellers and told them he would kill them if they did not comply,” the Justice Department said, adding that he ordered the employees to empty their cash drawers and warned them “not to include any dye packs with the cash.”

The tellers complied, allowing Lewis-Payne to escape with approximately $`9,175 in cash.

Investigators later used surveillance footage from the bank and nearby residential cameras to identify the suspect 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.

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

The investigation took another turn after officers examined Lewis-Payne’s phone, with investigators finding that he had used ChatGPT while preparing for the robbery.

📰 Source: Punch Nigeria