Kentucky man Jesse E. Kipf admitted to faking his own death in order to avoid paying over $100,000 in outstanding child support to his ex-wife. He pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and computer fraud in federal court in March 2023. Kipf accessed the Hawaii death registry system using a doctor’s details and created a case for his own death, listing himself as deceased in many government databases. He also infiltrated other states’ death registry systems using stolen credentials from other individuals.
In addition to faking his own death to avoid child support payments, Kipf admitted to hacking into private business, governmental, and corporate networks with stolen information in an attempt to sell access to these networks online. His crimes resulted in estimated damages of over $195,000, including losses to governmental and corporate networks as well as losses suffered by his ex-wife. Kipf has agreed to pay restitution to all parties he wronged as part of his plea agreement.
Initially indicted on five counts of computer fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, Kipf also faced charges related to opening credit accounts with a false Social Security number. These charges could have carried a prison sentence of over 30 years. However, after taking a plea deal, Kipf now faces a maximum of seven years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 12.
Kipf’s attorney, Thomas Miceli, has not responded to requests for comment on the case. Kipf’s actions not only involved deceiving government systems and hacking into private networks but also caused significant financial harm to his ex-wife. The plea agreement outlines the extent of Kipf’s crimes and his subsequent agreement to make restitution to his victims.
Despite the elaborate scheme to fake his own death, Kipf’s actions were ultimately uncovered, leading to his indictment and guilty plea. The plea agreement details the manipulation of various death registry systems and the attempts to profit from hacking into networks. Kipf’s sentencing will take place in April, where he will face the consequences of his fraudulent actions, including potential prison time and fines.
