A Kentucky man who fabricated his own demise to evade child support payments has been handed a federal prison sentence of six years and nine months.
Jesse Kipf, a 39-year-old resident of Somerset, managed to dodge over $116,000 in child support before his scheme was eventually uncovered.
As reported by American Military News, court records reveal that Kipf exploited the death registry system in Hawaii in 2023. He used the login credentials of a doctor from another state to create a death certificate for himself, even going as far as to use the doctor's name, title, and license number on the document. This act led to Kipf being registered as deceased in numerous government databases.
Thomas P. Miceli, Kipf's attorney, highlighted his client's military service in a sentencing memorandum. Kipf served in the military for approximately three years and was deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008. Miceli argued that the psychological trauma Kipf endured during his time in war exacerbated his drug addiction, which in turn "led to an increase in reckless and criminal behavior." Kipf has also been diagnosed with paranoid delusions and schizophrenic tendencies, factors Miceli believes should be considered for a reduced sentence.
However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn M. Dieruf painted a different picture of Kipf in her sentencing memo. She described Kipf's "online exploits" as demonstrating an "unusual breadth, recklessness, and disregard for victims." Kipf exploited weaknesses in state death-registry systems and used stolen information from real doctors to create counterfeit death certificates for himself. He even offered information for sale on darknet forums detailing how others could illegally access death registry systems.
Kipf's criminal activities extended beyond faking his death. He hacked into private business computer networks and confessed to selling one company's databases to Russians. While Dieruf acknowledged Kipf's decorated military service, she also noted that the U.S. Army had charged him for theft and damage to government property. He also faced charges in Texas for fraudulent use of identifying information and in Nebraska for criminal possession of financial transaction devices.
Kipf is currently facing charges in Somerset for allegedly using stolen credit card numbers to pay for food deliveries through services like Door Dash. Dieruf argued that these charges underscore Kipf's decision "to avoid ever obtaining legitimate employment, and instead to apply his ample technical knowledge towards making a living by stealing from others."
Upon his arrest, Kipf confessed to police that he had not held a legitimate job for five years and had been supporting himself by selling identities. He pleaded guilty to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier handed down Kipf's sentence in a federal court in London on Monday.
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