Herb Kimble
Herb Kimble | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 12, 1966 Chicago, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters (2026) |
| Conviction | Pending sentencing |
Criminal charge | Conspiracy to defraud the United States, to make a false claim to a department of the United States, to commit mail fraud, to commit wire fraud, to commit health care fraud, and to offer kickbacks and bribes |
Reward amount | $150,000 |
Capture status | Captured |
Wanted by | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| Accomplices | Andrew Chmiel (convicted; 2024) |
| Details | |
| Location | United States |
| Target | U.S. Medicare beneficiaries |
Date apprehended | June 11, 2026 in Pasig, Philippines |
Herbert Leon Kimble (born May 12, 1966) is an American businessman, film and television producer, director.[1] He is the founder of streaming network UrbanflixTV.[2]
In 2019, he was charged with medicare fraud. After failing to appear at court hearings in 2024, he was placed on the FBI most wanted listed and soon after comprehended in the Philippines and brought back to the USA for sentencing.
Early Life
Herbert Leon Kimble was born in Chicago on May 12, 1966.[3][4] His career started as a child actor.[5][6]
Film Career
In 2017, he co-founded CineFocus Productions in West Hollywood, a film production company.[7]
In 2019, he launched the streaming network UrbanflixTV to offer original and licensed multicultural programming.[2]
Medicare Fraud
Scheme
From 2011 to 2019, Kimble operated a call center-based operations in the Philippines to serve as the marketing engine for Medicare fraud targeting beneficiaries of the Medicare insurance.[8]
The scheme involved enticing potential victims via television and online advertisements. Callers would be screened for Medicare eligibility and be convinced to avail an orthotic brace and other braces by the call center. The call center would refer the victim to a telemedicine company which would issue a prescription without regard to actual medical necessity. Medical equipment companies allegedly entered into a deal with the call center in which the braces were billed to Medicare. The fraud is estimated to have resulted in US$ 1.2 billion in damages.[9]
Investigation and arrest
The probe investigation in Columbia by the government was unveiled in April 2019. The fraud was believed to have originated in South Carolina. Aside from Kimble, Andrew Chmiel was also characterized as an architect of the scheme. Chmiel was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison in March 2024.[10]
Kimble became a fugitive and went in hiding in the Philippines. The South Carolina federal court ordered for his arrest in August 2024 after failing to appear in a pre-sentence hearing.[11] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included Kimble in its Most Wanted Fraudsters list and announced a US$150,000 reward for information on Kimble's whereabouts.[12] He likewise failed to appear in the sentencing hearing on October 7, 2024.[9][13]
Kimble was arrested by the Fugitive Search Unit of the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration at a casino in Pasig, Metro Manila.[14] He was detained on June 11 and deported from the Philippines on June 18.[15]
References
- ↑ Evans, Peter. ""Heaux Phase" on UrbanFlixTV: Herb Kimble's Portrait of Womanhood and Social Reality". starstruckextreme.com. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- 1 2 Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 24, 2019). "New Streaming Platform UrbanFlix To Showcase Inclusive, Multicultural Programming". Deadline. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Herbert "Herb" Kimble". Office of Inspector General. August 11, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Most Wanted Fraudster: Herbert Leon Kimble" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "About Herb Kimble". herbkimble.com. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ "The Titanic: How the Record Breaking Film Struggled With Production Costs". Buddah Lounge. May 25, 2019.
- ↑ Prickett, Macon (July 13, 2018). "THE BLAME GAME Thriller Horror Short to Debut at LA Shorts Film Festival". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ Bolledo, Jairo (June 20, 2026). "One of FBI's most wanted fraudsters arrested in the Philippines". Rappler. Archived from the original on June 20, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- 1 2 "American fugitive nabbed in PH over $1.2B healthcare fraud case". Philippine Daily Inquirer USA. June 20, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ McDermott, John (September 19, 2024). "Far-flung architect of a $1.2B Medicare fraud that spread from SC skips court". Post and Courier. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ Monk, John. "SC federal judge seeks arrest of billion-dollar Medicare kingpin fraudster in Philippines". The State. McClatchy Media Network. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "FBI offers N250m reward for information on wanted fraudster behind $1.2b scam". Vanguard News. June 7, 2026. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Hawkins, Stephen (June 9, 2026). "FBI unveils 'Most Wanted Fraudsters' list to spotlight alleged swindlers, one captured". KATV. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ Llavanes, Dave Jr. (June 20, 2026). "US gov't: PH immigration agents captured one of FBI's most wanted fraudsters". GMA News. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Cariaso, Bella (June 21, 2026). "BI arrests, deports US fraud suspect". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 21, 2026.