The US Department of Justice announced the arrest of one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted fraudsters after fugitive Herbert Leon Kimble was captured at a casino in Pasig City, Philippines.
Arrest and Extradition
According to authorities, the Bureau of Immigration and US government agents tracked Kimble for several months before his arrest and subsequent return to the United States.
Kimble had pleaded guilty in 2019 to multiple fraud-related charges against the US government, including healthcare fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. However, he failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing in August 2024, prompting a warrant for his arrest.
Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme
The FBI stated that from 2014 to 2019, Kimble operated a large-scale scheme using call centers in the Philippines to persuade Medicare beneficiaries to obtain orthopedic braces that were often unnecessary. Prescriptions were then sold to medical equipment suppliers, who billed Medicare for the devices.
This resulted in over $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare charges, affecting thousands of people, including the elderly. A reward of up to $150,000 was offered for information leading to Kimble's arrest.
