A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for robbing a bank while brandishing a firearm.
Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, at a federal court in Omaha after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun during a crime of violence.
US Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the sentence, stating that District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Lewis-Payne to 37 months for the robbery and an additional 84 months for brandishing the firearm. The sentences will be served consecutively.
Lewis-Payne will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term. There is no parole in the US federal prison system.
According to court documents, Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank at 15645 Spaulding Street, Omaha, on February 10, 2026, carrying a black semi-automatic handgun. He pointed the weapon at two bank employees and demanded money.
He threatened to kill the tellers if they failed to comply and ordered them to empty their cash drawers while warning them not to include dye packs.
The employees handed over approximately $9,175, after which Lewis-Payne fled the bank.
Surveillance footage captured his unmasked face, the firearm and the distinctive clothing he wore, including red Nike slides. Cameras around the area also recorded the vehicle used in the robbery, including its registration plate and other identifying features.
Investigators later discovered that Lewis-Payne went on a shopping spree at Westroads Mall after the robbery, using cash to purchase shoes and clothing.
When officers eventually located him near one of his residences, he fled and left behind banded cash. A subsequent search of his residences uncovered another bundle of currency, the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery and most of the clothing he wore during the crime.
Although Lewis-Payne admitted driving the vehicle, he initially denied participating in the robbery.
Investigators later obtained permission to search his phone and discovered that he had used ChatGPT while planning the crime.
According to the US Department of Justice, Lewis-Payne used the AI chatbot to seek information concerning law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair the firearm and how to obtain ammunition despite being a convicted felon.
Investigators also found that his Google Maps history showed he had searched for directions to i3Bank shortly before the robbery.
The firearm allegedly used in the robbery has not been recovered. However, authorities recovered $2,397 of the approximately $9,175 stolen from the bank.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
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