The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $150,000 (approximately N250 million) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Herbert Leon Kimble, a convicted fraudster accused of masterminding a healthcare fraud scheme that generated more than $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims.
According to details published on the FBI’s website, Kimble is currently a wanted fugitive after failing to appear for a scheduled sentencing hearing in the United States. Authorities said he was last known to be residing in Manila, Philippines.
The FBI alleged that Kimble played a key role in a sprawling healthcare fraud conspiracy that exploited the Medicare system through the improper marketing and distribution of durable medical equipment (DME), particularly orthopedic braces.
“Kimble operated a sophisticated call-centre-based marketing network from approximately 2014 through March 2019,” the FBI said, adding that the operation served as “the marketing engine for a nationwide healthcare fraud scheme involving telemedicine providers, DME suppliers, and orthopedic brace distributors.”
Investigators said the network targeted Medicare beneficiaries, encouraging them to request orthopedic braces for pain relief, even when the devices were not medically necessary.
“The braces were often prescribed through telemedicine consultations that lacked proper medical evaluation,” the FBI stated.
Authorities further alleged that prescriptions obtained through the scheme were sold to DME companies, while suppliers associated with Kimble shipped the braces and billed Medicare for reimbursement.
“The scheme resulted in more than $1.2 billion in Medicare charges and impacted thousands of beneficiaries, many of them elderly Americans,” the agency said.
Court documents cited by the FBI show that Kimble pleaded guilty on April 4, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division. The charges included conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false claims to a federal agency, mail fraud, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, and paying kickbacks and bribes.
However, federal authorities said Kimble failed to appear for his sentencing hearing on August 27, 2024.
“An arrest warrant was issued for Kimble on the same day, and he was subsequently charged with failure to appear,” the FBI noted.
The bureau is urging members of the public with information on Kimble’s whereabouts to contact its toll-free tip line, the nearest FBI office, an American Embassy or Consulate, or submit information through its online tip portal.
“Information leading directly to the arrest of Herbert Leon Kimble and/or information leading to his conviction may qualify for a reward of up to $150,000,” the FBI said.
