23-Year-Old Gets 10 Years For ChatGPT-Assisted Bank Robbery In US

• Deron Lewis-Payne used ChatGPT to research police response times, firearm maintenance and ammunition before the robbery.

• He robbed an i3Bank branch in Omaha on February 10 while carrying a handgun.

• Investigators found the AI searches on his phone, along with Google Maps searches for the bank.

• A federal judge sentenced Lewis-Payne to 10 years and one month in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

August 24, () — Deron Lewis-Payne, 23, has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after prosecutors said he used ChatGPT to prepare for an armed bank robbery in Omaha.

Investigators found conversations on his phone about police response times, firearm maintenance and obtaining ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon. Google Maps searches for the i3Bank branch were also found on the device.

Lewis-Payne entered the bank at 15645 Spaulding St. on February 10 carrying a black semi-automatic handgun. He pointed it at two tellers, threatened to kill them and demanded money, while warning employees not to include dye packs. Eventually, he left with $9,175.

Surveillance footage captured his face, while investigators linked a vehicle to the robbery and tracked his movements afterwards. Lewis-Payne went shopping at Westroads Mall before police arrested him in Omaha the following day.

The phone search added another element to the investigation, giving prosecutors evidence of what Lewis-Payne had been researching before the robbery.

ChatGPT Searches Reveal Preparation Before Bank Robbery

Questions about police response times, firearms and ammunition were directly relevant to the risks and practical requirements of an armed robbery. Alongside the Google Maps searches for the bank, they gave investigators a record of activity that preceded the crime.

Police had other evidence tying Lewis-Payne to the robbery. Surveillance footage showed his face, vehicle evidence placed him in connection with the crime, and investigators followed his movements after he left the bank.

Authorities also recovered $2,397 of the stolen money, according to reports on the case.

Federal prosecutors later charged Lewis-Payne with bank robbery and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years.

U.S. District Judge, Robert F. Rossiter Jr., sentenced him on August 13 to 121 months in prison. He received 37 months for the bank robbery and 84 months for brandishing the firearm, with the sentences running consecutively.

Lewis-Payne will serve five years of supervised release after leaving prison.

Calling the robbery ChatGPT-assisted is supported by the reported phone evidence, but the distinction between assistance and authorship remains important. Prosecutors said Lewis-Payne used the chatbot while preparing for the crime. Nothing in the available evidence indicates that ChatGPT independently selected the bank, made the decision to rob it or carried out any part of the offence.

Human decisions drove the robbery itself. Lewis-Payne chose the target, entered the branch with a handgun, threatened employees and took the money. ChatGPT appears to have served as an information source during the preparation.

For investigators, those conversations became useful because they could be considered alongside evidence of what actually happened. A chatbot search on its own would say little about a criminal offence. In this case, its relevance came from its connection to the robbery, the bank searches and the other evidence gathered during the investigation.

Digital activity is increasingly capable of filling gaps between planning and execution. Here, the phone records helped establish what information Lewis-Payne was seeking before the robbery, while surveillance and physical evidence showed what happened afterwards.

His 121-month sentence now brings the federal prosecution to a close. Lewis-Payne will spend 10 years and one month in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after using a readily available AI tool during preparations for an armed bank robbery.