Billion-Dollar Fraudster Captured
FBI returns 'Most Wanted' fugitive Herbert Kimble after $1.2 billion Medicare fraud scheme
Key Points
FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest marked “just over two weeks” and described Kimble as the “second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.”
Fox News reported the first person taken into custody from the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list was Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
The FBI case profile described how the alleged scheme worked operationally: Medicare beneficiaries who called a 1-800 number listed in TV/online advertisements were screened for eligibility and then “convinced that they needed an orthotic brace,” with agents often “upsold on other braces.”
Inquirer reported that three Filipino Americans were among the eight fugitives on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list—Michael Lizaso Marasigan, John Michael Dimitrion (also known as John Dela Cruz), and his wife JulieAnne Baldueza Dimitrion—who remain at large.
Rappler reported that the FBI offered a $150,000 reward for information leading to Kimble’s arrest.
The FBI has captured Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, in the Philippines and returned him to the United States to face sentencing for his role in a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud scheme. Fox News reported that Kimble is the second fugitive arrested from the FBI's newly launched "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list — caught just over two weeks after the list debuted on June 4, 2026.
Kimble pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and paying illegal kickbacks. But he skipped his sentencing hearing on August 27, 2024, triggering a federal warrant and an international manhunt. Philippine immigration officers found him at a commercial area and casino in Pasig City, Manila, on June 11, 2026, according to Philstar.
A Billion-Dollar Brace Scam Targeting Elderly Americans
Kimble's scheme ran from roughly 2014 to 2019 under what federal investigators called "Operation Brace Yourself." Offshore call centers — many based in the Philippines — ran TV and online ads directing Medicare patients to a 1-800 number. Once on the line, agents screened callers for eligibility, then "convinced them that they needed an orthotic brace," according to the FBI case profile. Agents often upsold callers on multiple braces.
The scheme used a "telemedicine loop" to make the fraud look legitimate. Kimble's centers paid physicians through telemedicine companies to sign prescriptions — often without any real medical evaluation. Those prescriptions were sold to durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which billed Medicare at inflated rates. The scam hit thousands of elderly beneficiaries and dozens of DME companies, generating over $1.2 billion in improper billings, according to HHS-OIG.
Fugitive Caught 14 Months After Skipping Sentencing
After pleading guilty in April 2019, Kimble spent years cooperating with investigators against co-conspirators while awaiting his sentence. Then, on August 27, 2024, he simply did not show up. A federal bench warrant was issued immediately. Kimble fled abroad, apparently believing distance would shield him from accountability.
It did not. Philippine Bureau of Immigration agents and government intelligence officers arrested Kimble on June 11, 2026. He was deported and returned to the U.S. on June 18, 2026, according to Philstar. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Kimble "tried to evade accountability by fleeing abroad, but that attempt failed." FBI Director Kash Patel added: "Fleeing the United States does not mean you can flee justice."
White House Fraud Task Force Claims Second Scalp in Two Weeks
Kimble's arrest is a win for the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, created by executive order on March 16, 2026, and chaired by Vice President JD Vance. The FBI launched the "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list on June 4, 2026, naming eight fugitives and offering $150,000 rewards for tips leading to their capture, according to Rappler.
The first arrest came just one day later. Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47 — charged with a $4.2 million fraud targeting the Federal Child Nutrition Program — surrendered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on June 5, 2026, according to Fox News. Kimble's capture on June 18 made it two arrests in 17 days, a 25% success rate on the original list of eight. Patel called it proof that the task force treats high-level financial criminals with the same urgency as terrorists and drug traffickers.
Three Filipino Americans From the List Remain At Large
Kimble's capture puts pressure on the six remaining fugitives still on the list. Three of them have Filipino American ties, according to Inquirer: Michael Lizaso Marasigan, John Michael Dimitrion (also known as John Dela Cruz), and his wife JulieAnne Baldueza Dimitrion. All three remain at large.
Philippine Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the Philippines "will not serve as a sanctuary for fugitives seeking to evade justice." The Kimble arrest has drawn attention to the Philippines as a potential hiding spot for offshore financial criminals. The FBI's $150,000 reward offer remains active for each fugitive still on the list, according to Just the News.
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