United States: A US judge on Wednesday sentenced Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, the former chairman of Theranos Inc, to 12 years and 11 months in prison for defrauding investors and patients of the Elizabeth Holmes-led blood testing startup. A spokeswoman for the US attorney's office confirmed.

Balwani was sentenced by US District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, on two counts of conspiracy and ten counts of fraud after being convicted by a jury in July.

Prosecutors claimed that Balwani, 57, and Holmes, 38, conspired to defraud Silicon Valley investors into believing that the company was able to accurately run a wide range of medical diagnostic tests from a small amount of blood. Efficient miniature machines have been developed.

Also Read: The road to Hawaii is in limbo as Mauna Loa lava continues to crawl.

Meanwhile, prosecutors claim the company secretly used conventional methods to run the tests and provided patients with false results.

In 2018, Holmes and Balwani, her former romantic partner, were indicted, with Holmes having founded the company as a college student and becoming its public face.

After Holmes said she would take the stand and testify that Balwani was abusive in their relationship, Davila gave each a separate trial. He has denied the allegations.

In January, Holmes was indicted on four counts of fraud and conspiracy but was acquitted of defrauding patients.

At a hearing last month, Davila sentenced Holmes to 11-1/4 years in prison, describing Theranos as "falsehoods, misrepresentations, plain conceits and lies."

Also Read:  Iranian executions increased by more than 50% this year

Prosecutors later argued that Balwani should be given a 15-year prison sentence because he knew Theranos' tests were wrong while overseeing the company's laboratory operations and for "prioritizing Theranos' financial health over the actual health of patients." " decided to.

The probation department had suggested a tenure of nine years.
Stating that Balwani was not motivated by fame or greed and that he founded Theranos to better the world, his lawyers asked for a probationary period.

Theranos, once valued at $9 billion, had the potential to completely change the way patients receive diagnoses by displacing traditional laboratories with portable devices that can be used at home, in pharmacies and even in combat. could be done.

Also Read:  After a fight in Turkey's parliament, a lawmaker was hospitalised

After several Wall Street Journal articles questioned the company's technology in 2015, the business failed. US v. Balwani, No. 18-cr-00258; US District Court, Northern District of California.