International fugitive sentenced for one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A man whom federal prosecutors called the architect of one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history was sentenced Monday.

Herbert Kimble was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with three years of court-ordered supervision. He was also ordered to pay more than $199 million in restitution to Medicare and forfeit more than $195 million in what prosecutors described as “ill-gotten gains.”

Kimble pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiring to commit health care fraud, violate the anti-kickback statute, and defraud the United States in connection with a telemedicine and durable medical equipment scheme involving back, shoulder, wrist, and knee braces.

Prosecutors say Kimble ran offshore call centers that recruited elderly Medicare beneficiaries, paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies for signed prescriptions, then sold those orders to medical equipment companies that billed Medicare. Court filings put the intended loss at more than $400 million, with Kimble personally gaining more than $195 million.

Kimble cooperated with investigators in what became Operation Brace Yourself, but failed to appear for three court dates in fall 2024 and fled to the Philippines, where he remained a fugitive for nearly two years.

In June, the FBI named Kimble to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list. Days later, he was apprehended in the Philippines and returned to the United States. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to appear as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

Bryan Stirling, U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina, said Kimble’s sentence matches the seriousness of his crimes.

“Kimble orchestrated one of the largest international healthcare fraud schemes in our nation’s history,” Stirling said. “Today’s sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes and reinforces the Department of Justice’s commitment to investigate and prosecute those who steal from American taxpayers.”

Kimble is not eligible for parole.