By John Monk
A South Carolina federal judge has issued an arrest warrant for Herb Kimble, the notorious kingpin behind one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in U.S. history. The ruling follows Kimble’s failure to appear in court for a pre-sentence hearing, despite previous assurances that he would attend.
Kimble, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to healthcare fraud, conspiracy, and violating the anti-kickback statute, was expected to appear in court for sentencing. The scheme, which ran from 2014 to 2019, defrauded the federal government out of an estimated $1 billion, with a significant portion of the fraud linked to South Carolina. In exchange for his guilty plea, Kimble agreed to pay $40 million in restitution. However, recent revelations showed that he only has $27 million available for repayment.
The failure to appear in court has prompted U.S. Judge Joe Anderson to take immediate action. “I don’t see the defendant today,” Judge Anderson said, surveying the empty courtroom. Kimble’s attorney, Jim Griffin, assured the court that his client was in communication and would return to the U.S. in the coming weeks. However, Kimble was reported to be in the Philippines at the time, approximately 7,000 miles away. Prosecutors noted that the Philippines has a policy of not extraditing individuals involved in healthcare fraud cases, further complicating Kimble’s legal situation.
As a result, Judge Anderson issued a bench warrant for Kimble’s arrest and revoked a $5 million bond that Kimble had posted in 2019 when he was first arrested. The judge emphasized that this was a serious matter, given Kimble’s role as the mastermind of a wide-reaching international fraud scheme. Federal prosecutor Amy Bower, who had moved for the arrest, described Kimble as “the architect of a substantial and international healthcare fraud scheme.”
Kimble’s operation relied heavily on call centers based in the Philippines, which screened Medicare-eligible individuals through TV and online ads. These centers connected eligible consumers with doctors who, without ever meeting the patients, prescribed medically unnecessary items like arm, neck, and back braces. These items, primarily manufactured in China, were then sold to elderly Americans through Medicare, generating millions in fraudulent payments.
The scheme involved a complex network of doctors, shipping companies, and medical suppliers across several U.S. states, including South Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Over 80 defendants have been charged as a result of Kimble’s cooperation with federal investigators.
Kimble’s role in exposing the full scope of the fraud was integral to the successful prosecution of many others, prompting federal prosecutors to recommend leniency during sentencing. Despite his cooperation, Judge Anderson was unsatisfied with Kimble’s failure to appear and issued the arrest warrant accordingly.
As the case develops, Kimble’s legal team will have to address his absence and determine how they plan to bring him to court. Meanwhile, Judge Anderson’s frustration was palpable, as he turned to Bower and quipped, paraphrasing the famous Apollo 13 line: “Houston, do we have a problem?”
“We do have a problem,” Bower replied. “At least for today.”
Kimble’s sentencing is now in jeopardy, as authorities continue to track his whereabouts and work to secure his return to the United States.
