Herbert Kimble Sentenced to 20 Years for $199 Million Medicare Scheme
The fugitive architect of a telemedicine fraud network was sentenced in South Carolina after a two-year flight to the Philippines.
By Evelyn Henderson ·
Herbert Kimble received a 20-year prison sentence on Monday in Columbia, South Carolina, for his role in a massive Medicare fraud operation. The federal court also ordered three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors identified Kimble as the architect of a scheme involving telemedicine prescriptions and durable medical equipment, specifically back, shoulder, wrist, and knee braces. He was ordered to pay more than $199 million in restitution to Medicare and forfeit over $195 million in assets.
Kimble pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy, anti-kickback violations, and defrauding the United States. Federal filings state the scheme caused intended losses exceeding $400 million, with Kimble personally retaining more than $195 million. The operation relied on offshore call centers to recruit elderly beneficiaries and paid kickbacks to secure prescriptions that were later sold to equipment vendors billing Medicare.
Despite cooperating in the investigation known as Operation Brace Yourself, Kimble missed three court dates in the fall of 2024 and fled to the Philippines. He remained a fugitive for nearly two years before the FBI added him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list in June.
Agents apprehended Kimble in the Philippines days after his listing. He returned to the U.S. and entered guilty pleas on three counts of failure to appear during the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling stated that the sentence reflects the severity of the crimes. Stirling noted that the case reinforces the Department of Justice's commitment to prosecuting those who take money from American taxpayers. Kimble is not eligible for parole.
Source: WOIO
