News

Judge delays Theranos founder sentencing to September

January 13, 2022 01:14 PM


Twitter Share Facebook Share WhatsApp Share

A federal judge on Wednesday set a September date for the sentencing of fallen biotech star Elizabeth Holmes, who was found guilty of defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup Theranos.

Holmes is a rare example of a tech exec being brought to book over a company flaming out, in a sector littered with the carcasses of money-losing businesses that once promised untold riches.

Her case shone a spotlight on the blurred line between the hustle that characterizes the industry and outright criminal dishonesty.

Jurors found her guilty of four counts of tricking investors into pouring money into what she claimed was a revolutionary testing system.

US District Court Judge Edward Davila granted a request by prosecutors and defense lawyers to delay the sentencing hearing, letting her remain free on a $500,000 bond secured by property in the meantime.

Davila set the hearing for September 26, according to court documents.

The rival sides agreed that a sentencing hearing after the first week of September "would be appropriate in light of ongoing proceedings in a related matter," the filing read.

Theranos chief operating officer Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani was charged with fraud along with Holmes, but the one-time business and romantic partners face separate proceedings in federal court in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose.

Balwani's trial has been delayed until March because of concerns about the risk of Covid-19, according to court documents.

Holmes's trial ended last week. The 37-year-old now faces the possibility of 20 years behind bars for each of her four convictions.

But the jury also acquitted her on four charges and could not reach a verdict on three others.

Prosecutors will dismiss the undecided charges, according to the motion to delay sentencing.

Holmes had vowed to revolutionize health diagnostics with self-service machines that could run an array of tests on just a few drops of blood, a vision that drew high-profile backers and made her a billionaire on paper by the age of 30.

She was hailed as the next tech visionary on magazine covers and collected mountains of investors' cash, but it all collapsed after Wall Street Journal reporting revealed the machines did not work as promised.



Most Read

  1. Maryam Nawaz can wear uniform! Maryam Nawaz can wear uniform!
  2. Here is all about Madiha Rizvi’s second husband Here is all about Madiha Rizvi’s second husband
  3. Madiha Rizvi ties the knot again Madiha Rizvi ties the knot again
  4. Zara Noor Abbas inspired by Rani Mukerji Zara Noor Abbas inspired by Rani Mukerji
  5. Humayun Saeed and Saboor Aly under fire for close interaction in public Humayun Saeed and Saboor Aly under fire for close interaction in public
  6. Two patients die, injuries of 12 others multiplied after roof collapse at Gujrat hospital Two patients die, injuries of 12 others multiplied after roof collapse at Gujrat hospital

Opinion

  1. Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir
    Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir

    By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai

  2. Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy
    Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy

    By Salim Bokhari

  3. Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph
    Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph

    By Zulfiqar Ali Mir

  4. IMEC to sabotage CPEC
    IMEC to sabotage CPEC

    By Dr Asif Channer

  5. 1947 TO FORM 47
    1947 TO FORM 47

    By Dr Asif Channer

  6. Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....
    Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....

    By Ali Ramay