High-Stakes Fugitive Nabbed at Pasig Casino, Deported to U.S.

A healthcare fraud mastermind and one of the FBI's most wanted fraudsters has been deported to the United States after being arrested at a casino in Pasig City, authorities announced.

Herbert Leon Kimble, who was sought by the FBI for his role in a massive Medicare fraud conspiracy that generated more than $1.2 billion in fraudulent healthcare claims, was taken into custody in the Philippines and subsequently removed to the United States to face federal charges.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Kimble operated a sophisticated fraud network from approximately 2014 through March 2019 that targeted Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

The scheme used call centers, including operations based in the Philippines, to contact Medicare recipients and persuade them to obtain orthopedic braces that were often medically unnecessary.

Investigators said beneficiaries were connected to telemedicine providers who frequently approved prescriptions without conducting legitimate medical examinations.

The prescriptions were then sold to durable medical equipment (DME) companies, while suppliers linked to the conspiracy shipped the braces and Medicare was billed for reimbursement.

Federal authorities allege that the operation resulted in more than $1.2 billion in Medicare charges and affected thousands of beneficiaries, many of them elderly Americans.

Court records show that on April 4, 2019, Kimble pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division, to conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false claims against a U.S. government agency, committing mail fraud, wire fraud, and healthcare fraud, and offering kickbacks and bribes in connection with the scheme.

However, Kimble failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing on Aug. 27, 2024.

Federal authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant for him the same day, and he was charged with failure to appear, effectively making him a fugitive wanted by the FBI.

The FBI has described Kimble as a fugitive wanted in connection with one of the largest healthcare fraud schemes involving orthopedic braces and durable medical equipment.

Prosecutors contend that the conspiracy generated millions of dollars in illegal proceeds while exploiting vulnerable Medicare recipients through deceptive marketing practices and fraudulent billing.

Kimble's arrest at a Pasig City casino and subsequent deportation to the United States marks a major development in the long-running federal investigation. He is expected to face proceedings in a U.S. federal court on charges related to healthcare fraud, conspiracy, and failure to appear.

The case underscores ongoing cooperation between U.S. and Philippine law enforcement agencies in locating and returning international fugitives accused of major financial crimes.