Pulaski County Man Sentenced for Cyber Intrusion and Aggravated Identity Theft

Computer HackerPhoto byPhoto by Sora Shimazaki:

According to the press release the Defendant committed cyber intrusions, by hacking into state death registry systems to fake his own death to avoid paying his child support obligations. He also hacked into private businesses and attempted to sell access to networks on the dark web

Jesse Kipf, 39, of Somerset, Ky., was sentenced to 81 months in prison on Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, as announced by the Department of Justice.

According to the plea agreement, Kipf engaged in unauthorized computer intrusions, including hacking into state death registry systems to fake his own death in an attempt to evade child support obligations. In January 2023, Kipf unlawfully accessed the Hawaii Death Registry System using the credentials of an out-of-state physician. He then created a false death certificate for himself, using the physician's digital signature to certify the document, which resulted in his being falsely registered as deceased in numerous government databases. Kipf admitted that this fraudulent act was partly motivated by a desire to avoid paying child support.

In addition to tampering with state death registries, Kipf also infiltrated private business networks and governmental systems using stolen credentials. He attempted to sell access to these compromised networks on the dark web, a part of the internet often associated with illicit activities.

“This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, driven in part by the reprehensible goal of avoiding child support obligations,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case serves as a stark reminder of the severe damage that cybercriminals can inflict and underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity. Thanks to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, Kipf will now face the consequences of his disgraceful conduct.”

Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office, added, “Through collaboration with our law enforcement partners, this defendant, who maliciously exploited computer systems and stole the identities of others for personal gain, will now face justice. Identity theft victims suffer lasting impacts, and the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who engage in such cowardly acts.”

Under federal law, Kipf must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence. After his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. The total damages caused by Kipf’s actions, including harm to government and corporate computer systems and unpaid child support, amounted to $195,758.65.

United States Attorney Shier, Special Agent in Charge Stansbury, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, Hawaii Attorney General Anna E. Lopez, and Pulaski County Sheriff Bobby Jones jointly announced the sentencing.

The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the FBI Louisville, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.