Hacker sentenced after faking death to get out of paying child support

A court has ruled that a 39-year-old man from Kentucky used government registry systems to create a false identity in order to avoid paying child support. As a result, he has been sentenced to 81 months in federal prison.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert Wier sentenced Jesse Kipf to 81 months for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from the US Department of Justice (DoJ).

Kipf fraudulently registered himself as deceased in the Hawaii Death Registry System by using stolen credentials. He did this in order to evade his child support obligations, which was his main motive for breaking into the system.

The DoJ stated that in January 2023, Kipf created a case for his own death by accessing the Hawaii Death Registry System, utilizing the login credentials of a physician who resided in a different state.

Afterwards, Kipf filled out a State of Hawaii Death Certificate Worksheet and designated himself as the medical certifier for the case. He then proceeded to certify the death, utilizing the doctor’s digital signature.

According to the DoJ, Kipf used stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to death registry systems in multiple states, as well as private businesses and government networks. He then tried to sell this access to interested parties on the dark web.

The hacker’s actions included using a fake Social Security number to open a credit or debit account at a financial institution. This resulted in a total of $195,758.65 in damages to both government and corporate systems, as well as unpaid child support.

The investigation, led by FBI’s Michael E. Stansbury, concluded that the defendant, who hacked multiple computer systems and deliberately stole the identities of others for personal gain, will face consequences for their actions. Stansbury emphasized that the victims of identity theft endure long-lasting consequences and therefore, the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who engages in such cowardly behavior.

After serving 85 percent of his prison sentence, Kipf will be placed under the supervision of the US Probation Office for three years upon his release from prison.

In our previous report, we shared that a hacker had found a method to obtain free laundry for life and another individual involved in the GTA 6 incident was sentenced to a secure hospital.