Kentucky man sentenced to 81 months in prison after faking his death to avoid child support payments

LONDON, Kentucky (LEX 18) – The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky reported that a Somerset man was sentenced to 81 months in prison after allegedly hacking into a system and faking his own death to avoid paying child support.

The office said Jesse Kipf, 39, was sentenced on Monday for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. The plea agreement states that Kipf “intentionally accessed a computer without authorization and then obtained information from a protected computer for his own private benefit and in furtherance of identity theft.”

In January 2023, Kipf reportedly gained access to Hawaii's death registration system using a doctor's credentials and then began building a “case” for his own death, the office reported. Kipf appointed himself a medical certifier and certified his death using the doctor's digital signature, resulting in him being registered as a dead person in several government databases.

The office added that Kipf admitted to faking his own death to “evade his outstanding child support obligations.”

In addition, Kipf stole credentials from real people, gaining access to other states' death registration systems, as well as private business networks and government and corporate networks.

“This scheme was a cynical and destructive attempt, based in part on the inexcusable goal of evading his child support obligations,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case is a stark reminder of how damaging computer criminals can be and how important computer and online security is to all of us. Fortunately, thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, this case will serve as a warning to other cybercriminals, and he will face the consequences of his disgraceful conduct.”

“Working with our law enforcement partners, this defendant who hacked a number of computer systems and maliciously stole the identities of others for his own benefit will now pay the price,” said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “Victims of identity theft face lifelong consequences, and for that reason, the FBI will pursue anyone foolish enough to engage in this cowardly behavior.”

According to the office, Kipf must serve 85 percent of his sentence under federal law and will be on probation for three years after his release.