The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has apprehended Herbert Leon Kimble, a 60-year-old fugitive accused of masterminding a massive healthcare fraud scheme that allegedly generated more than $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare charges.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that Kimble, who was recently placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, was arrested in the Philippines and has since been returned to the United States to face justice.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Kimble’s arrest demonstrates that fleeing abroad does not shield criminals from prosecution.
“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. That plan failed,” Blanche said.
According to the FBI, Kimble had been on the run since August 2024 after failing to appear for a scheduled sentencing hearing following his guilty plea in a major healthcare fraud case. He was officially added to the agency’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List on June 1, 2026, with a reward of up to $150,000 offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing anti-fraud campaign.
“This is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list in just over two weeks,” Patel said in a statement posted on X. “Kimble allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud conspiracy that targeted the Medicare system, particularly elderly victims, from 2014 to 2019.”
Investigators said Kimble operated a sophisticated call-centre network that persuaded Medicare beneficiaries to obtain orthopedic braces and other medical equipment that were often medically unnecessary. The prescriptions were then funneled through telemedicine providers and durable medical equipment suppliers, who billed Medicare for reimbursement. The scheme affected thousands of beneficiaries, many of them elderly Americans.
Court records show that Kimble pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy charges involving healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, false claims against the United States, and the payment of kickbacks and bribes. However, he absconded before sentencing, prompting the issuance of a federal arrest warrant.
The FBI said Kimble’s capture underscores its commitment to pursuing fraud suspects worldwide and ensuring they are brought before the courts regardless of where they attempt to hide.
