A 23-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing a bank and brandishing a firearm during the crime.
Deron Lewis-Payne was sentenced on August 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha. US District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. handed him 37 months for the bank robbery and an additional 84 months for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentences will run consecutively.
According to the US Department of Justice, Lewis-Payne will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Court documents showed that Lewis-Payne entered i3Bank on Spaulding Street in Omaha on February 10, 2026, carrying a black semi-automatic handgun.
He allegedly pointed the weapon at two bank employees, demanded money and threatened to kill them if they failed to comply. He also instructed the tellers to empty their cash drawers and not include dye packs.
The employees complied, allowing Lewis-Payne to escape with approximately $9,175.
Surveillance cameras captured his unmasked face and distinctive clothing, including red Nike slides. Cameras around the area also recorded the vehicle he allegedly used during the robbery, including its registration plates and other identifying features.
Investigators later determined that Lewis-Payne went shopping after the robbery and used cash to purchase shoes and clothing at retailers around Westroads Mall.
When police eventually located him near one of his residences, he fled and left banded cash behind.
A subsequent search of his residences led investigators to recover the vehicle allegedly used in the robbery, another currency band and most of the clothing he was seen wearing during the crime.
Lewis-Payne initially denied involvement in the robbery but admitted that he had driven the vehicle.
Investigators later searched his phone with his consent and discovered that he had used ChatGPT while planning the robbery.
According to the US Department of Justice, his queries included questions about law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun and how to obtain ammunition despite being a convicted felon.
Investigators also found that his Google Maps history showed that he had recently searched for directions to the bank.
The firearm allegedly used during the robbery was not recovered. However, investigators recovered $2,397 of the approximately $9,175 stolen from the bank.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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