Kentucky father, Jesse Kipf, has pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and computer fraud after admitting to faking his own death in an elaborate scheme to avoid paying over $100,000 in outstanding child support to his ex-wife. The 38-year-old was charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in November following an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Department of the Attorney General for Hawaii, and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.
Kipf confessed to fabricating a Hawaii Death Certificate Worksheet in January 2023, where he assumed the role of the medical certifier and certified his own death. Prosecutors argued that his motive behind these cyber crimes was to evade his child support obligations. Subsequently, he gained unauthorized access to various states’ death registry systems using stolen credentials, applying a digital signature under a physician’s name, and registering himself as deceased in multiple government databases.
However, Kipf’s illegal activities did not end there. He also utilized the stolen credentials to infiltrate private business, government, and corporate networks, with the intention of selling the fraudulently obtained sensitive information to other criminals online. This resulted in damage to multiple computer networks and the theft of numerous individuals’ identities.
In January, Kipf faced additional charges of computer fraud related to data breaches at GuestTek Interactive Entertainment in February 2023 and Milestone Inc. in June 2023. The estimated damages caused by Kipf, including the evasion of child support payments and network breaches, exceeded $195,000.
As part of his plea agreement, Kipf has agreed to pay restitution amounts of $3,500 to the state of Hawaii, $56,247 to Milestone Inc., $19,653 to GuestTek Interactive Entertainment, and $116,357 to the California child support agency. He has also agreed to forfeit his electronic devices and $16,218 worth of gold and silver coins.
Initially facing multiple charges, Kipf’s plea deal resulted in several charges being dropped. He now faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and a minimum of two years for computer fraud, along with a substantial fine of $250,000.
4 Responses
This post highlights the real-world application of the importance of identity theft prevention and the consequences of fraudulent activities. It serves as a reminder for individuals to be cautious about their personal information and to avoid engaging in illegal activities. This case also emphasizes the significance of fulfilling financial responsibilities, such as child support, and the potential legal repercussions for attempting to evade them.
This story is absolutely appalling and disgusting. How can someone stoop so low as to fake their own death just to avoid their responsibilities as a parent? Jesse Kipf’s actions are not only deceitful but also incredibly selfish. It’s infuriating to think about the emotional and financial toll this must have taken on his ex-wife and children. No child should have to suffer because of their parent’s irresponsibility. It’s a clear indication of his complete lack of empathy and disregard for his family
I find this story about Jesse Kipf’s scheme to avoid paying child support quite intriguing. Could the author provide more details about how exactly he faked his own death? It would be interesting to know the extent of his deception and how he managed to carry it out successfully.
There are no errors or inaccuracies in the post. However, to provide more context and support the information, here are some credible sources:
1. “Kentucky man pleads guilty to faking his own death to avoid child support payments” – NBC News
Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kentucky-man-pleads-guilty-faking-his-own-death-avoid-child-n1269384
2. “Kentucky father pleads guilty