FBI Offers $150,000 Reward for Fugitive Linked to $1.2 Billion Medicare Fraud Scheme

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a reward of up to $150,000, equivalent to about N250 million, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Herbert Leon Kimble, a convicted fraudster wanted in connection with a massive healthcare fraud operation worth more than $1.2 billion.

According to information released by the FBI, Kimble was last known to be residing in Manila, Philippines, and became a fugitive after failing to attend a scheduled sentencing hearing in the United States.

The agency alleged that Kimble played a leading role in a complex healthcare fraud network that exploited the Medicare system through the improper promotion and distribution of durable medical equipment, particularly orthopedic braces.

Investigators said Kimble ran a call-centre-based operation from 2014 until March 2019, helping coordinate a nationwide scheme involving telemedicine providers, DME suppliers and orthopedic brace distributors.

The FBI said the operation contacted Medicare beneficiaries and persuaded them to obtain orthopedic braces, many of which were allegedly unnecessary. The prescriptions were reportedly issued through telemedicine consultations that lacked proper medical evaluation.

Authorities further alleged that the prescriptions were sold to DME companies, while associated suppliers distributed the braces and submitted reimbursement claims to Medicare.

The FBI said the fraud scheme generated more than $1.2 billion in Medicare charges and impacted thousands of beneficiaries across the United States, particularly senior citizens.

According to court records, Kimble pleaded guilty on April 4, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina to multiple conspiracy-related offences, including healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, making false claims against a federal department, defrauding the United States, and paying kickbacks and bribes.

Despite his guilty plea, Kimble failed to appear before the court for sentencing on August 27, 2024.

Federal authorities subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest and filed an additional charge of failure to appear.

The FBI has called on members of the public with information about Kimble’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement authorities, the nearest American diplomatic mission, or submit tips through the agency’s official reporting channels.

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