Father hacks state to fake death rather than pay six-figure child support debt
Jesse Kipf, 38, is expected to plead guilty to federal hacking and identity theft charges after prosecutors say he faked his own death, partly to escape having to pay more than $116,000 in child support to his ex in California. (Grayson County Detent
He would rather die than give her a dime – at least on paper.
Prosecutors say a Kentucky father hacked into Hawaii's death registry, impersonated a doctor and created his own death certificate in order to fake his own demise to avoid paying more than $116,000 in child support to his ex.
Jesse Kipf, a 38-year-old from Somerset, is accused of hacking state systems in Hawaii, Arizona and Vermont in addition to two private companies, GuestTek Interactive Entertainment, which provides internet access at hotels, and Milestone Inc., a marketing company, according to federal court documents.
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In January 2023, owing his California ex a whopping six-figure sum, federal prosecutors say Kipf obtained the credentials of a doctor, logged into the Hawaii Death Registry System and created a case file for his own premature end.
Then he filled out a death certificate, still posing as the doctor, and submitted it – which made him appear dead across a swath of government databases, according to court filings.
Prosecutors say he then hacked other death registries and broke into the private business networks, access to which he allegedly sold on the dark web.
Additionally, after faking his death, he is accused of opening credit cards with false social security numbers in an attempt to live a new life.
A federal grand jury handed down the indictment in November.
He faced federal charges of computer fraud, aggravated identity theft and making false statements on an application. He is expected to face up to seven years in prison as part of a plea deal filed last week, admitting to two of the 10 original charges.
He could have faced decades behind bars if convicted at trial, which would have begun later this month.
In addition to paying back the child support he owes to his ex in California, Kipf is expected to shell out another $79,400.88 to the hacking victims as part of the deal.
The government also confiscated a number of computers and smartphones along with more than $16,000 worth of gold and silver coins.
Kipf is due back in court on April 12.
The Justice Department advises anyone who stayed at a hotel using Guest-Tek prior to Feb. 12, 2023 or Milestone before June 21, 2023, who believes they suffered harm as a result of the data breaches to call the United States Attorney’s Office Victim Assistance Program at 859-685-4906.