Man to spend years in jail after faking own death to avoid paying child support

PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - A Kentucky man who admitted to faking his death to avoid paying child support has been sentenced to years in jail.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jesse Kipf was given a prison sentence on Monday of about six and a half years.

Kipf pleaded guilty in April to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Authorities said Kipf used a computer to access Hawaii’s death registry system last year where he created a fake death certificate for himself.

His plea document said he did this to avoid paying child support fees of more than $100,000.

“This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations,” U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier said.

Kipf also hacked other government and business networks to steal credentials.

The damage to governmental corporate computer systems and his failure to pay his child support obligations totaled around $200,000.

“Through the excellent work of our law enforcement partners this case will serve as a warning to other cybercriminals,” Shier said.

Under federal law, Kipf must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.

Copyright 2024 WKYT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.