Herb Kimble Sentenced to 20 Years in Medicare Fraud Case, $199 Million Restitution and $195 Million Forfeiture

Herbert Leon “Herb” Kimble, 60, of Chicago, was sentenced on October 26, 2026, to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to appear, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. imposed 240 months, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.

Kimble was also ordered to pay Medicare more than $199 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $195 million in money and property. The Department of Justice (DOJ) says he caused more than $365 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid more than $199 million, and that he personally profited by more than $195 million. He fled to the Philippines before his 2024 sentencing and was arrested there in June 2026.

This is a criminal sentencing, not a settlement. The restitution is owed to Medicare. The DOJ announcement does not mention a claim form or payments to individual beneficiaries.

Herb Kimble Case: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Defendant	Herbert Leon “Herb” Kimble, 60, of Chicago, Illinois
Court	U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina (Columbia)
Judge	Joseph F. Anderson Jr.
Sentencing date	October 26, 2026
Prison term	240 months (20 years), followed by three years of supervision
Offenses of sentence	Conspiracy to defraud the United States; failure to appear
Restitution	More than $199 million to Medicare
Forfeiture	More than $195 million in money and property
Fraudulent claims attributed to Kimble	More than $365 million
Amount Medicare paid	More than $199 million
Kimble’s personal profit, per DOJ	More than $195 million
Broader scheme (2019 charging description)	$1.2 billion telemedicine and durable medical equipment scheme
Investigators	FBI, HHS Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation
Parole	None in the federal system, per DOJ

How Did Herb Kimble’s Medicare Fraud Scheme Work?

Prosecutors describe Kimble as a central architect of a nationwide scheme that used offshore call centers and sham telemedicine companies to generate medically unnecessary prescriptions for orthotic braces. The DOJ says it worked in three steps:

1. Recruitment. Offshore call centers used deceptive advertising to recruit vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries.
2. Doctors’ orders. Medical professionals rarely held real consultations and instead signed preselected brace orders to maximize Medicare reimbursement.
3. Billing. Kimble sold beneficiary information and signed orders to durable medical equipment (DME) companies in exchange for illegal kickbacks disguised as legitimate business payments. Those companies billed Medicare.

The DOJ says Kimble coordinated patient and prescription procurement from the Philippines and used proceeds to buy a luxury condominium at the Shangri-La hotel there.

What Is Herb Kimble’s Conviction and Plea History?

DOJ announcements describe the case in two phases: the original conspiracy case, and the failure-to-appear case that followed his flight.

Date	Event
2019	Kimble is charged in the $1.2 billion telemedicine and DME scheme. DOJ says he originally pleaded guilty in 2019 to a broad conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 371, described as conspiring to commit healthcare fraud, violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and defraud the United States.
Fall 2024	Scheduled for sentencing, he fails to appear on three occasions (a status conference and two sentencing hearings). A bench warrant issues and he flees to the Philippines.
June 4, 2026	The FBI announces its Most Wanted Fraudsters list and names Kimble among its eight.
June 8, 2026	Kimble is apprehended in the Philippines and returned to the United States.
After his return	He is indicted on three counts of failure to appear, brought as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
August 11, 2026	Kimble enters a new plea agreement covering the original charges and the new indictment, pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to appear. The parties stipulate a sentence of 15 to 20 years and agree to nearly $200 million in restitution, including $9 million at sentencing.
October 26, 2026	Judge Anderson sentences him to 20 years, the top of the stipulated range.

The DOJ release does not break the 240 months down count by count.

Why Do Different Dollar Figures Appear in the Kimble Case?

The numbers describe different things and should not be added together or treated as interchangeable.

Figure	What it describes
$1.2 billion	The broader telemedicine and DME scheme in the 2019 charging description, as stated in DOJ’s August 2026 plea announcement
More than $365 million	Fraudulent claims DOJ attributes to Kimble
More than $199 million	Amount Medicare paid on those claims, and the restitution ordered
More than $195 million	Kimble’s personal profit, and the money and property ordered forfeited

Restitution compensates the victim, here Medicare, for its loss. Forfeiture takes money and property tied to the crime. An order to forfeit $195 million does not mean that amount has been collected, and the DOJ release gives no collection timetable.

Which Federal Laws Apply to Herb Kimble’s Case?

18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to defraud the United States). This is the statute DOJ cites for his original 2019 plea. It covers agreements to commit a federal offense or to defraud the United States, where the required elements are established.

18 U.S.C. § 1347 (health care fraud). The federal statute covers knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud a health care benefit program such as Medicare. DOJ’s announcements describe Kimble’s plea as involving a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, not a standalone § 1347 count.

42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b) (Anti-Kickback Statute). It prohibits knowingly and willfully paying or receiving remuneration to induce referrals or orders payable by a federal health care program. DOJ says the kickbacks here were disguised as legitimate business payments.

18 U.S.C. § 3146 (failure to appear). It applies when a person released before sentencing knowingly fails to appear as required. Kimble was charged with three counts for the 2024 missed proceedings.

Official text: 18 U.S.C. § 371, 18 U.S.C. § 1347, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b and 18 U.S.C. § 3146.

Will Medicare Beneficiaries Get Money From the Kimble Case?

No payment program has been announced. The restitution order directs payment to Medicare, and the DOJ release does not describe a claim form or a fund for individual patients. A criminal sentence also does not by itself create a private damages claim for people whose information or prescriptions were used.

A beneficiary who received a brace they did not request should review their Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits and report suspected fraud through Medicare.gov.

Civil enforcement works differently from criminal sentencing. For example, Dr. Michael Neret Sued Over Nearly $500,000 in Medicare Billing, What the Federal False Claims Act Lawsuit Alleges is a civil lawsuit, and Independence Blue Cross $22.5 Million Medicare Advantage Settlement, No Consumer Claim Form is a civil settlement over diagnosis data. Neither involves Kimble or this prosecution.

How Does the Kimble Sentence Compare With Other October 2026 Medicare Fraud Sentences?

Christopher Harwood (20 years). The DOJ announced on October 23, 2026, that Harwood, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, owner of TelevisitMD, was sentenced to 20 years for a $46.2 million Medicare fraud conspiracy involving orthotic braces and genetic tests. Medicare paid $17.9 million. He was ordered to pay $17,942,402 in restitution and $10,431,463 in forfeiture. He had pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. (DOJ announcement)

Brett Blackman (19 years). Blackman, 43, of Johnson County, Kansas, CEO of HealthSplash, which acquired the DMERx platform, was sentenced on October 14, 2026, per the DOJ release dated October 15, after a jury convicted him in April 2026 on conspiracy counts involving health care fraud, wire fraud, kickbacks and false statements. DOJ says more than $1 billion was billed, Medicare and other insurers paid more than $450 million, and braces were billed for more than 346,000 beneficiaries. His restitution and forfeiture will be decided later. (DOJ announcement)

Unlike Kimble and Harwood, who pleaded guilty, Blackman went to trial.

What Happens Next in the Herb Kimble Case?

The Bureau of Prisons will administer the 20-year term, followed by three years of supervision. Federal authorities may pursue the restitution and forfeiture orders. The DOJ release does not say whether Kimble will appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Herb Kimble

How long was Herb Kimble sentenced to prison?

Twenty years (240 months) on October 26, 2026, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.

What was Herb Kimble convicted of?

DOJ says the sentence is for conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to appear. He originally pleaded guilty in 2019 to a broad § 371 conspiracy and entered a new plea in August 2026 covering that case and the failure-to-appear indictment.

How much must Herb Kimble repay Medicare?

More than $199 million in restitution to Medicare, plus forfeiture of more than $195 million in money and property.

Why did Herb Kimble flee to the Philippines?

DOJ says he failed to appear for three proceedings in 2024, including sentencing hearings, and fled. The DOJ release does not state his motive.

How was Herb Kimble caught?

The FBI named him to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list on June 4, 2026, and he was apprehended in the Philippines on June 8.

Is Herb Kimble eligible for parole?

DOJ states there is no parole in the federal system. Actual time served depends on federal sentencing and custody rules.

Can Medicare patients claim money from the Herb Kimble case?

No claim process has been announced. The restitution is directed to Medicare.

Bottom Line

Herb Kimble received the top of his stipulated 15-to-20-year range for conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to appear. DOJ attributes more than $365 million in fraudulent claims and $195 million in personal profit to him, and he must repay Medicare more than $199 million. Readers looking for a refund should note that this is a criminal case with restitution owed to Medicare, not a claims program.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina announcements of October 26 and August 11, 2026, and the DOJ announcements in the Harwood and Blackman cases, as of October 27, 2026. Last Updated: October 27, 2026.

For informational purposes only; not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is a legal information website, not a law firm.

Sources: DOJ sentencing announcement · DOJ plea announcement · FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters · Harwood · Blackman