Policy & oversight
Fugitive Who Fled to Philippines Sentenced to 20 Years for Medicare Brace Fraud Scheme
Herbert Kimble used offshore call centers and fake telemedicine companies to flood Medicare with fraudulent brace prescriptions. After fleeing the country and missing three sentencing hearings, he was captured and ordered to repay more than 199 million dollars.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamOctober 27, 2026
A South Carolina federal court sentenced Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, to 20 years in prison on October 26, 2026, for leading a nationwide Medicare fraud conspiracy built on medically unnecessary orthotic braces.
Prosecutors said Kimble's operation used offshore call centers and sham telemedicine companies to generate prescriptions for back braces, knee braces, and similar devices that patients did not need. Recruiters found Medicare beneficiaries through deceptive advertising, secured signed physician orders for the unneeded equipment, and sold that patient information to durable medical equipment suppliers in exchange for kickbacks disguised as legitimate business payments. The suppliers Kimble supported billed Medicare for more than 365 million dollars in fraudulent claims; Medicare paid out more than 199 million dollars of those claims.
A Medicare fraud ringleader who ran offshore brace scams and fled to the Philippines was sentenced to 20 years after his network billed Medicare more than 365 million dollars.
U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. sentenced Kimble to 240 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay more than 199 million dollars in restitution to Medicare and to forfeit more than 195 million dollars in ill-gotten proceeds.
Kimble had originally been scheduled for sentencing in 2024 but missed three court appearances after fleeing the country. The FBI placed him on its Most Wanted Fraudsters List in June 2026; he was apprehended in the Philippines four days later and returned to the United States. He subsequently pleaded guilty to additional failure-to-appear counts. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.
In plain words
Herbert Kimble ran a scam that cost Medicare more than 199 million dollars. His team found Medicare patients through misleading ads. They got doctors to sign orders for back braces and knee braces the patients did not need. Then they sold that patient information to supply companies, which sent more than 365 million dollars in fake bills to Medicare.
Kimble was supposed to be sentenced in 2024 but ran away to the Philippines instead. The FBI put him on its Most Wanted list. He was caught just four days later and brought back to the United States. A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. He also has to pay back more than 199 million dollars to Medicare.
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Source: DOJ
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