FBI apprehends $1.2B Medicare fraud fugitive in Philippines, second arrest from Most Wanted Fraudsters list
A fugitive accused of orchestrating a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud scheme has been captured abroad and returned to the United States, marking the second individual apprehended from the FBI’s new ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list.
Federal authorities reported that Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines after allegedly avoiding law enforcement for nearly two years.
Prosecutors indicated that Kimble ran a healthcare fraud operation that resulted in over $1.2 billion in Medicare charges, impacting thousands of beneficiaries, many of whom were elderly. The scheme utilized call centers to direct patients towards unnecessary orthopedic braces.
In 2019, Kimble pleaded guilty to various federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, making false claims, and offering kickbacks and bribes.
Authorities noted that he did not appear for his sentencing hearing in August 2024, leading to a federal arrest warrant and an international manhunt.
His capture came shortly after the Justice Department revealed its new ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list, aimed at publicly identifying individuals involved in significant fraud cases.
Last week, federal authorities announced the arrest of Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, who was wanted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ereg was the first person from the list to be apprehended.
‘In just over two weeks, this is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,’ FBI Director Kash Patel shared on X.
‘Herbert Leon Kimble was apprehended in the Philippines and is now back in the United States, on the run since 2024 after he allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud conspiracy that targeted the Medicare system — particularly elderly victims — from 2014-2019,’ Patel added.
Patel emphasized the FBI’s commitment to fulfilling President Donald Trump’s directive to combat fraud and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
The arrest comes months after the Justice Department announced the formation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to bolster Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is overseen by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Vance responded to the arrest on X, attributing the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters list as a key factor in helping investigators track down Kimble.
‘Our message is simple,’ Vance wrote. ‘If you defraud the American people, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.’
‘Kimble preyed on the elderly for years, costing taxpayers over a billion dollars,’ he continued. ‘The FBI capturing Kimble is a direct result of the task force’s partnership with the FBI to create the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.’
Vance mentioned that authorities had struggled to locate Kimble for months, but the Philippine government assisted in finding him after the Justice Department published its list.
‘Catching fraudsters is a priority of this Administration, and thanks to our task force’s hard work, one of the country’s most wanted fraudsters will now have to answer for his crimes,’ Vance added.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also commented on the arrest, stating, ‘Fleeing the United States does not mean you can flee justice.’
‘Instead of facing accountability for his $1.2 billion Medicare fraud crimes in the United States, Kimble fled to the Philippines hoping to escape justice,’ Blanche wrote on X. ‘That plan failed. Under President Trump’s leadership, this FBI has now apprehended two fraudsters from its recently unveiled Most Wanted Fraudster list in just two weeks, with more to come.’