The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has placed a $150,000 reward, approximately N250 million, on Herbert Leon Kimble, a convicted fraudster accused of masterminding a healthcare scam that allegedly generated over $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims.
Details published on the FBI’s website revealed that Kimble, who was reportedly last traced to Manila in the Philippines, is wanted after failing to appear before a US court for sentencing.
According to investigators, Kimble was deeply involved in a widespread healthcare fraud operation centred on the marketing and supply of durable medical equipment, especially orthopedic braces, through fraudulent means.
The FBI disclosed that between 2014 and March 2019, Kimble allegedly managed a sophisticated call-centre network that acted as the driving force behind a nationwide scheme involving telemedicine practitioners, DME suppliers and distributors of orthopedic braces.
Authorities explained that the operation targeted Medicare beneficiaries, convincing them to request orthopedic braces for pain treatment. Investigators alleged that many of the braces were medically unnecessary and were prescribed during telemedicine consultations conducted without adequate medical assessment.
The prescriptions were reportedly sold to DME companies, while suppliers associated with Kimble delivered the braces and the firms later sought reimbursements from Medicare.
The FBI stated that the fraud scheme generated more than $1.2 billion in Medicare billings and impacted thousands of beneficiaries, including many elderly Americans.
Court documents referenced by the agency showed that Kimble pleaded guilty on April 4, 2019, before the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division, to conspiracy charges bordering on defrauding the United States, submitting false claims to a federal agency, mail fraud, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, as well as paying kickbacks and bribes.
Despite the guilty plea, Kimble failed to attend his sentencing hearing scheduled for August 27, 2024.
Federal authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant against him on the same day and filed an additional charge for failure to appear in court.
The FBI has appealed to members of the public with useful information on Kimble’s location to contact its toll-free tip line, the nearest FBI office, any American Embassy or Consulate, or submit tips through its online reporting portal.
