Telemedicine fraud architect Herbert Kimble gets 20 years in prison
The former fugitive must also pay nearly $400 million to Medicare and forfeit his ill-gotten gains.
By Camila Wisniewski ·
Herbert Kimble faces two decades behind bars for his role in a massive Medicare billing scheme.
A federal judge in Columbia, S.C., sentenced Kimble on Monday to 20 years of imprisonment. The court also ordered three years of supervised release. Kimble must pay more than $199 million in restitution to Medicare. He must additionally forfeit more than $195 million in assets. Prosecutors described these funds as ill-gotten gains.
Federal officials say Kimble built a network of offshore call centers. These centers targeted elderly Medicare beneficiaries. The scheme involved selling telemedicine prescriptions for back, shoulder, wrist, and knee braces. Medical equipment companies then billed Medicare for the orders. Court filings estimate the intended loss at over $400 million. Kimble personally gained more than $195 million.
Kimble originally pleaded guilty to health care fraud and conspiracy in 2019. He cooperated with investigators in Operation Brace Yourself. He disappeared in fall 2024 after missing three court dates. He fled to the Philippines and remained a fugitive for nearly two years. The FBI added him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list in June. Agents captured him in the Philippines days later. He was returned to the United States and pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to appear.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the sentence reflects the gravity of the offenses. Stirling stated that Kimble orchestrated one of the largest international healthcare fraud schemes in the nation's history. The justice department aims to prosecute those who steal from American taxpayers.
Kimble is not eligible for parole.
Source: WBTV
