Jesse Kipf, a 39-year-old man from Somerset, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 81 months in prison for orchestrating a complex scheme to fake his own death in order to evade over $195,000 in child support obligations.

In January 2023, Kipf hacked into Hawaii's Death Registry System using a physician's credentials, creating a false record of his death and registering himself as deceased in various government databases.

The investigation revealed that Kipf's fraudulent activities were primarily motivated by his desire to escape significant child support payments.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Kipf's sentencing, which included charges of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Kipf was indicted on multiple charges, including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, in November 2022, and he pleaded guilty to these charges in April 2024.

In addition to his prison sentence, Kipf is required to pay nearly $200,000 in penalties, which encompass overdue child support and damages to the hacked computer systems.

Kipf's actions caused nearly $200,000 in damages, severely compromising the personal information of individuals affected by his cybercrimes.

The FBI's investigation highlighted the malicious nature of Kipf's actions, revealing his sophisticated technical skills in cybercrime.

U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV, emphasized the seriousness of Kipf's actions, describing them as a cynical effort to avoid child support obligations and a warning to other cybercriminals.

Under federal law, Kipf must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole and will be supervised for three years after his release.

Prosecutors noted that Kipf's attempts to evade child support obligations represented a continued victimization of his daughter and her mother.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky stated that Kipf's sentencing serves as a warning to potential cybercriminals about the consequences of their actions.