A 23-year-old man in Omaha, Nebraska, used ChatGPT while planning a bank robbery that ended with him holding two bank employees at gunpoint and threatening to kill them.
Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the robbery, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Lewis-Payne reportedly used ChatGPT to research aspects of the planned robbery, with investigators finding queries relating to law-enforcement response times, firearms and ammunition.
The US Justice Department said investigators discovered the ChatGPT activity after examining Lewis-Payne’s phone during the investigation.
The robbery occurred on February 10 when Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank in Omaha carrying a black semi-automatic handgun.
He pointed the weapon at two employees and demanded money, threatening to kill them if they failed to comply.
The employees handed over approximately $9,175 in cash. Lewis-Payne also warned them not to include dye packs with the money.
Investigators later pieced together the robbery using surveillance footage from the bank and nearby homes.
Bank cameras captured Lewis-Payne’s unmasked face and distinctive clothing, including red Nike slides. Residential cameras also recorded the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery, including its registration plate and other identifying features.
His Google Maps history provided another major clue. Investigators found that he had recently searched for directions to i3Bank.
After the robbery, Lewis-Payne allegedly went to Westroads Mall, where he used cash to purchase shoes and clothing.
Police later located him near one of his residences. He fled from officers, allegedly leaving banded cash behind.
A search of his residences uncovered the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery, another currency band and much of the clothing he wore during the crime, including the red Nike slides.
Although Lewis-Payne admitted driving the vehicle, he denied participating in the robbery.
The handgun used in the crime was never recovered. Investigators recovered $2,397 of the approximately $9,175 stolen from the bank.
Lewis-Payne was sentenced to 37 months for bank robbery and an additional 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentences will run consecutively.
He will also serve five years of supervised release after his imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The US Justice Department noted that there is no parole in the federal prison system.
