DOJ charges 455 in $6.5B fraud takedown

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 455 defendants in connection with more than $6.5 billion in alleged health care fraud, including schemes involving durable medical equipment, Medicaid, opioids and other health care services.

“Health care fraud steals from taxpayers, exploits vulnerable patients, and puts lives at risk,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “We will find you, we will prosecute you and we will hold you accountable.”

The 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown included cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in DOJ history. The defendants include 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals.

Takedown highlights:

• Federal officials reported more than $182 million in seized assets, including cash, luxury vehicles and jewelry.
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) suspended 1,079 providers and revoked billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• HHS-OIG reported more than 1,400 provider exclusions and 25 actions seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund.
• DOJ reported 295 Medicaid defendants and more than $518 million in false Medicaid claims, the largest number in its history

“This year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our nation’s history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The DOJ highlighted continued enforcement around DME-related fraud, including a scheme involving urinary catheters and other DME that were allegedly never provided. In the Southern District of Florida, Ibrahim Hilmi was charged in connection with an additional $3.7 billion in false claims tied to the scheme. Authorities say Hilmi was apprehended in Kyrenia and returned to the United States.

The FBI also reported the apprehension of Herb Kimble, a fugitive wanted in connection with a previously charged $1.2 billion telemedicine and DME scheme. Kimble was arrested in the Philippines after being named to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List.

“CMS is done playing catch-up,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “We’re deploying advanced data analytics to expose fraud networks, freeze suspicious payments, and shut down bad actors before they can do damage.”

• Related: Go here to view the DOJ’s press conference on the takedown.