Kyle Kepkey pleads guilty to fraud after stealing $1m from dad to fund flash lifestyle
A Melbourne man stole $1 million from his dad to fund a flash “Rockefeller” lifestyle of drugs, parties, video games, travel, fast cars and fast women — leaving his father to survive on Centrelink. Here’s how his villainous conduct was uncovered.
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A dirtbag son stole $1 million from his dad, leaving him with a bank balance of just $19.34, then blew it on a flash lifestyle of drugs, partying, online games, Tinder, travel, fast women and fast cars.
Kyle Kepkey, 30, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Monday to multiple fraud charges.
Kepkey fleeced $1,001,330.00 from his dad’s bank account via 279 bogus transactions between February 2017 and February 2019.
The offending began after Kepkey’s dad sold his New South Wales home for $1,181,792 and moved to Victoria in early 2017.
The victim, who was “careful with his spending” and “did not live an extravagant lifestyle”,
estimated he could live off $70,000 a year.
However, his pilfering tech-savvy son manipulated his dad’s online bank account to gain full access to the cash.
Kepkey, who was earning $2000 a fortnight working for two tech companies, also devised an alert which informed him anytime his dad received an SMS.
Kepkey’s villainous conduct was uncovered after his father attempted to withdraw cash from a Highpoint ATM but had insufficient funds.
The victim reported his son to police, telling investigators he would be in a “dire financial situation” if the bank didn’t refund the money.
Police interviewed Kepkey in April 2019 and next month the Maidstone house he rented with his father was destroyed in an electrical fire, the court heard.
Friends ran an online campaign to raise money for Kepkey following the fire.
Kepkey made a lengthy confession when he was eventually charged in December 2019.
“I probably did more drugs in the last three years than I’ve done in my whole life,” he said.
“My dad’s not very tech savvy, so it almost became too easy …
“Dad is living pretty badly at the moment, just kind of scraping by on Centrelink
benefits.”
Kepkey said he blew $4000 a week on drugs.
He also transferred almost $20,000 to his partner when she wanted to go shopping.
“It was just me more being the big man of things, providing money that wasn’t mine,” Kepkey said.
The long list of luxuries Kepkey blew his dad’s hard earned money on included transferring $10,000 to his ex-girlfriend as “remuneration for the break up.”
He gave $12,000 to his best mate for his wedding and regularly paid another friend’s rent.
Kepkey also spent $26,000 modifying the Honda Civic his dad bought him.
Kepkey spent almost $3000 on Deliveroo because he “did not really cook”, and $15,000 on Uber.
“I just took a car whenever I could,” he said.
Kepkey withdrew more than $200,000 in cash, spent almost $300,000 using PayPal to buy “random shit”, $22,000 on online gaming, $22,000 on Amazon, almost $13,000 at Bunnings, $17,000 at JB Hi-FI, almost $15,000 at EB Games and more than $2000 on premium Tinder purchases.
He also gave drug dealers access to his dad’s account so they could withdrawal debt money.
“It was all just out of selfishness, it was all just putting myself first,” Kepkey said.
“Living the Rockefeller lifestyle on someone else’s dime.”
Kepkey’s dad paid for his son to visit Tokyo but the scoundrel stole another $14,000 to fund the trip.
“The moment that I could figure out a way to actually access it and take it without even anyone questioning or knowing it, it just became, like, a golden pass to me,” Kepkey said.
Kepkey was remanded in custody to be sentenced by Judge Paul Lacava at a later date.
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