A Kentucky man has been sentenced to over six years in prison for a shocking scheme to fake his own death in order to avoid paying child support. Jesse Kipf, 39, accessed the Hawaii Death Registry System and created a false death certificate for himself, using the digital signature of a doctor. This elaborate plan successfully registered him as deceased in multiple government databases.
But Kipf’s criminal activities didn’t stop there. He also hacked into other death registry systems and companies, using stolen login details to sell access to the systems and private information like Social Security Numbers on the darknet. International buyers from countries like Algeria, Russia, and Ukraine were reportedly among his customers.
“This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. In total, the damage caused by Kipf’s actions and his failure to pay child support amounted to nearly $200,000.
Under federal law, Kipf must serve at least 85 percent of his 81-month sentence and will be under supervision for three years after his release. This case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in order to evade their responsibilities.
