FBI captures $1.2B Medicare fraud fugitive in Philippines, second arrest from Most Wanted Fraudsters list

A fugitive accused of moving a $1.2 cardinal Medicare fraud conspiracy has been captured overseas and returned to the United States, becoming the 2nd fishy taken into custody from the FBI's caller "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list.

Federal officials said Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested successful the Philippines aft allegedly evading authorities for astir 2 years.

Prosecutors said Kimble operated a healthcare fraud strategy that generated much than $1.2 cardinal successful Medicare charges and affected thousands of beneficiaries, galore of them elderly. Authorities said the cognition utilized telephone centers to steer patients toward medically unnecessary orthopedic braces.

Kimble pleaded blameworthy successful 2019 to aggregate national offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, healthcare fraud, ligament fraud, message fraud, making mendacious claims and offering kickbacks and bribes.

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Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested successful the Philippines and returned to the United States aft allegedly spending astir 2 years arsenic a fugitive, national officials said. (FBI)

Authorities said helium failed to look for his sentencing proceeding successful August 2024, prompting a national apprehension warrant and an planetary manhunt.

The seizure came conscionable weeks aft the Justice Department unveiled its caller "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list, which is intended to publically place individuals charged successful large fraud cases.

Last week, national officials announced the apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, who was wanted connected charges of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, ligament fraud and wealth laundering. He was the archetypal idiosyncratic connected the database to beryllium taken into custody.

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a quality league astir the Trump administration's fraud crackdown arsenic he's flanked by national and authorities officials successful Ohio connected Thursday, June 4, 2026. (WBNS via NNS)

"In conscionable implicit 2 weeks, this is the 2nd Most Wanted Fraudster arrested connected the FBI’s database led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud," FBI Director Kash Patel posted connected X.

"Herbert Leon Kimbel was apprehended successful the Philippines and is present backmost successful the United States, connected the tally since 2024 aft helium allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 cardinal healthcare fraud conspiracy that targeted the Medicare strategy — peculiarly aged victims — from 2014-2019," Patel continued.

Patel said the FBI remains committed to carrying retired President Donald Trump's directive to ace down connected fraud and support payer dollars.

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The FBI's caller "Most Wanted Fraudsters" database is intended to assistance instrumentality enforcement find and apprehend fugitives accused of large-scale fraud schemes. (FBI)

The apprehension comes months aft the Justice Department announced the instauration of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to enactment Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is led by Vice President J.D. Vance.

Vance reacted to the apprehension connected X, crediting the instauration of the Most Wanted Fraudsters database with helping investigators way down Kimble.

"Our connection is simple," Vance wrote. "If you defraud the American people, we volition find you and we volition bring you to justice."

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Vice President JD Vance convened the archetypal gathering of a caller anti-fraud task force, criticizing the Biden medication for weakening longstanding protections. The Trump medication primitively launched the national task unit led by Vance to analyse and retrieve fraudulent spending successful programs similar Medicare and Medicaid. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

"Kimble preyed connected the aged for years, costing taxpayers implicit a cardinal dollars," helium continued. "The FBI catching Kimble is simply a nonstop effect of the task force’s concern with the FBI to make the Most Wanted Fraudsters list."

Vance said authorities had been incapable to seizure Kimble for months, but that the Philippine authorities helped find him aft the Justice Department published its list.

"Catching fraudsters is simply a precedence of this Administration, and acknowledgment to our task force’s hard work, 1 of the country’s astir wanted fraudsters volition present person to reply for his crimes," Vance added.

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FBI Director Kash Patel announced the apprehension of Herbert Leon Kimble, who is accused of orchestrating a $1.2 cardinal Medicare fraud conspiracy. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche besides reacted to the arrest, saying that "fleeing the United States does not mean you tin fly justice."

"Instead of facing accountability for his $1.2 cardinal Medicare fraud crimes successful the United States, Kimble fled to the Philippines hoping to flight justice," Blanche wrote connected X. "That program failed. Under President Trump’s leadership, this FBI has present apprehended 2 fraudsters from its precocious unveiled Most Wanted Fraudster database successful conscionable 2 weeks, with much to come."