You know how sometimes you ask Google Maps for directions and it leads you down a rabbit hole? Well, for Deron Lewis-Payne, 23, his AI detour led him straight to federal prison.

This past August 13th, a judge in Omaha, Nebraska, handed Lewis-Payne a hefty 121-month sentence – that's over 10 years – for robbing a bank and, crucially, for waving a gun during the act. The sentence came after he pleaded guilty to both charges. United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the sentence. Judge Robert F.

Rossiter Jr. tacked on 37 months for the robbery itself and a much longer 84 months for brandishing the firearm. In the US federal system, there’s no parole. So, he'll serve the full time, followed by five years of supervised release.

The whole drama went down back on February 10, 2026. Lewis-Payne, looking anything but subtle, walked into i3Bank on Spaulding Street. He pulled out a black Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun and proceeded to threaten two bank employees. He demanded all their cash, specifically warning them not to include any dye packs. The tellers, understandably, complied. Lewis-Payne made off with about $9,175.

But here's where the AI planning meets reality. The bank's cameras, bless their digital souls, captured his unmasked face and his rather memorable outfit: bright red Nike slides. Then, cameras from houses near the bank caught the getaway car, complete with its license plate and even some distinctive rust spots and a toolbox. It wasn't long before investigators connected him to the crime. This was especially true after spotting him on mall surveillance footage spending some of the stolen cash on new clothes and shoes.

When officers finally caught up with him, he tried to bolt, leaving behind some of the banded cash. A search of his places turned up more banded cash, the car used in the robbery, and most of the clothes he wore, including those bright red slides. Though he admitted to driving the car, he initially played dumb about the robbery itself. But then he agreed to let investigators look at his phone.

And that's where ChatGPT came in. The US Department of Justice revealed that Lewis-Payne had used the popular AI chatbot to help plan the robbery. His queries reportedly included asking about police response times. He also asked how to clean and fix a specific model of handgun (the Llama Mini-Max .45). He even inquired about how to get ammunition as a convicted felon.

Adding insult to injury, his Google Maps history showed he'd recently looked up directions to the i3Bank. The firearm itself was never recovered, but investigators did manage to find $2,397 of the stolen money. The FBI handled the investigation. It's a stark reminder that while AI can be a powerful tool, using it to plot crimes rarely ends well.