A Chicago native who allegedly ran a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud conspiracy targeting elderly victims on Medicare was captured in the Philippines and shipped back to the United States — becoming the second suspect nabbed on the FBI’s new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list.
Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines where he had evaded authorities for nearly two years, according to federal investigators.
“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 posted on X Friday.
Kimble was initially charged for his role in the healthcare fraud and kickback scheme and pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States on April 4, 2019. After years of cooperation against other co-conspirators, Kimble failed to appear at his sentencing on October 7, 2024, according to authorities.
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General:
From approximately 2014 until April 2019, Herbert “Herb” Kimble controlled and operated an offshore call center that marketed orthotic braces for pain through advertisements on television and the internet. Once a Medicare beneficiary called a 1-800 number listed in the advertisements, they would be screened for eligibility and then convinced that they needed an orthotic brace, and often upsold on other braces. The call center would then contact a telemedicine company whose physician would often issue a prescription without regard to medical necessity.
Kimble’s charges in 2019 included conspiracy to defraud the United States, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, making false claims, and offering kickbacks and bribes.
Kimble becomes the second fugitive to be checked off from the new Most Wanted Fraudsters list, newly created by the U.S. Justice Department as part of the National Fraud Enforcement Division to support President Donald Trump’s “Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,“ which is led by Vice President JD Vance.
Last week, federal officials announced the apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, who was wanted for his alleged participation in a Minneapolis, Minnesota fraud scheme that exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those involved “obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars” in program funds that were intended to reimburse the costs of serving meals to children in need, according to authorities.
Vance credited the most wanted list with helping to enable the capture of both fugitives.
“Our message is simple,” Vance wrote in an X post. “If you defraud the American people, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also weighed in on Kimble’s capture.
“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.”
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.