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

A 39-year-old Kentucky man broke into government registry systems to fake his own identity, all to avoid paying child support, a court has ruled. He has since been sentenced to 81 months in federal prison.

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

Kipf used stolen credentials to access the Hawaii Death Registry System, fraudulently registering himself as deceased. His motive for the intrusion was to evade child support obligations.

“Specifically, in January 2023, Kipf accessed the Hawaii Death Registry System, using the username and password of a physician living in another state, and created a case for his own death,” the DoJ noted.

“Kipf then completed a State of Hawaii Death Certificate Worksheet, assigned himself as the medical certifier for the case, and certified his death, using the digital signature of the doctor.”

Kipf also broke into death registry systems in other states, along with private business and government networks, all using stolen credentials. He then attempted to sell access to these networks to buyers on the dark web, according to the DoJ.

The hacker even used a false Social Security number to apply for a credit or debit account at a financial institution. The total damage caused to government and corporate systems, along with his unpaid child support, amounted to $195,758.65.

FBI’s Michael E. Stansbury, who led the investigation, stated: “This defendant who hacked a variety of computer systems and maliciously stole the identity of others for his own personal gain, will now pay the price,” adding that, “victims of identity theft face lifelong impact and for that reason, the FBI will pursue anyone foolish enough to engage in this cowardly behavior.”

Kipf must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and once he’s released from prison, he will be under the supervision of the US Probation Office for three years.

Last month, we reported on how one hacker discovered a way to get free laundry for life, while another involved in the GTA 6 case was sentenced to a secure hospital.