FBI arrests first suspect on ‘most wanted fraudsters’ list
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, appeared on “Saturday in America” to discuss the federal government’s widening fraud crackdown and a series of arrests involving suspects accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars.
A man accused of helping orchestrate a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy has been arrested overseas and brought back to the United States, making him the second person captured from the FBI’s newly created “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list.
Federal authorities identified the suspect as 60-year-old Herbert Leon Kimble, who was taken into custody in the Philippines after allegedly remaining on the run for nearly two years.
According to prosecutors, Kimble ran a large-scale healthcare fraud operation that billed Medicare for more than $1.2 billion and impacted thousands of beneficiaries, many of them seniors. Investigators said the scheme relied on call centers to push patients toward orthopedic braces that were not medically necessary.
Kimble had previously pleaded guilty in 2019 to several federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, submitting false claims, and offering kickbacks and bribes.
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Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines and returned to the United States after allegedly spending nearly two years as a fugitive, federal officials said. (FBI)
Officials said Kimble did not appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing in August 2024, leading to a federal arrest warrant and an international search.
The capture came just weeks after the Justice Department unveiled its new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, which is intended to publicly identify individuals charged in major fraud cases.
Last week, federal officials announced the apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, who was wanted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He was the first person on the list to be taken into custody.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference about the Trump administration’s fraud crackdown as he’s flanked by federal and state officials in Ohio on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (WBNS via NNS)
“In just over two weeks, this is 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,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.
“Herbert Leon Kimbel was apprehended in the Philippines and is now back in the United States, on the run since 2024 after he allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud conspiracy that targeted the Medicare system — particularly elderly victims — from 2014-2019,” Patel continued.
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Patel said the FBI remains committed to carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive to crack down on fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.
The FBI’s new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list is intended to help law enforcement locate and apprehend fugitives accused of large-scale fraud schemes. (FBI)
The arrest comes months after the Justice Department announced the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to support Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is led by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Vance reacted to the arrest on X, crediting the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters list with helping investigators track down Kimble.
“Our message is simple,” Vance wrote. “If you defraud the American people, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
Vice President JD Vance convened the first meeting of a new anti-fraud task force, criticizing the Biden administration for weakening longstanding protections. The Trump administration originally launched the federal task force led by Vance to investigate and recover fraudulent spending in programs like Medicare and Medicaid. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
“Kimble preyed on the elderly for years, costing taxpayers over a billion dollars,” he continued. “The FBI catching Kimble is a direct result of the task force’s partnership with the FBI to create the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.”
Vance said authorities had been unable to capture Kimble for months, but that the Philippine government helped locate him after the Justice Department published its list.
“Catching fraudsters is a priority of this Administration, and thanks to our task force’s hard work, one of the country’s most wanted fraudsters will now have to answer for his crimes,” Vance added.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of Herbert Leon Kimble, who is accused of orchestrating a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also reacted to the arrest, saying that “fleeing the United States does not mean you can flee justice.”
“Instead of facing accountability for his $1.2 billion Medicare fraud crimes in the United States, Kimble fled to the Philippines hoping to escape justice,” Blanche wrote on X. “That plan failed. Under President Trump’s leadership, this FBI has now apprehended two fraudsters from its recently unveiled Most Wanted Fraudster list in just two weeks, with more to come.”
