Share this @internewscast.com

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The jurors now responsible for assessing 11 charges of fraud and conspiracy against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes are scheduled to begin their first full day of deliberations on Monday. They have plenty of evidence to review after a three-month trial that captivated Silicon Valley.

That included the testimony of 32 witnesses — including Holmes herself — and more than 900 exhibits.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 17: Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes leaves the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building on December 17, 2021 in San Jose, California. Lawyers made their closing arguments in the Elizabeth Holmes fraud trial and the jury will begin deliberations. Holmes is facing charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors with the Theranos blood testing lab services. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 17: Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes leaves the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building on December 17, 2021 in San Jose, California. Lawyers made their closing arguments in the Elizabeth Holmes fraud trial and the jury will begin deliberations. Holmes is facing charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors with the Theranos blood testing lab services. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

The eight men and four women on the jury took the weekend off after Judge Edward Davila handed them the case late Friday afternoon. They are charged with deciding whether Holmes turned her blood-testing startup into a massive scam. If convicted on all counts, Holmes, 37, could face up to 20 years in prison.

The trial revolves around allegations that Holmes duped investors, business partners and patients about Theranos’ technology. She repeatedly claimed that the company’s new testing device could scan for hundreds of diseases and other problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick instead of a needle stuck in a vein.

The concept was so compelling that Theranos and Holmes raised more than $900 million, some of that from billionaire investors such as media magnate Rupert Murdoch and software titan Larry Ellison. The Palo Alto, California, company also negotiated potentially lucrative deals with major retailers Walgreens and Safeway. Holmes soon began to grace national magazine covers as a wunderkind.

Unknown to most people outside Theranos, the company’s blood-testing technology was flawed, often producing inaccurate results that could have endangered the lives of patients who took the tests.

After the flaws were exposed in 2015 and 2016, Theranos eventually collapsed. The Justice Department filed its criminal case in 2018.

In a dramatic turn on the witness stand last month, Holmes testified that her former lover and business partner Sunny Balwani had been covertly controlling her diet, her friendships and more while subjecting her to mental, emotional and sexual abuse.

Although the testimony cast Holmes as Balwani’s pawn, her defense team did not mention the alleged abuse and its effects on Holmes during closing arguments.

Balwani’s lawyer adamantly denied Holmes’ accusations in court documents that the jury never saw. Jurors also never heard from Balwani, who intended to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if he had been called to testify. Balwani, 56, faces similar fraud charges in a separate trial scheduled to begin in February.

That leaves the jury to decide whether the alleged partner abuse may have affected Holmes’ decisions at Theranos.

Source: huffpost

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Rudy Giuliani’s Legal Bid Fails: Court Rejects All Arguments in Sexual Harassment and Rape Lawsuit

Left: Rudy Giuliani (zz/NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx 2022). Right: Noelle Dunphy (Inside Edition). Rudy…

Father Allegedly Plots Tragic Parking Lot Encounter, Resulting in Fatalities of Daughter and Her Mother, Authorities Report

Inset, left to right: John Mbuyi, Nathy Mbuyi, and Raissa Thatukila (Haltom…

Mother and Partner Accused of Inflicting Severe Injuries on Young Daughter, Leaving Her on Dialysis

In a distressing case from Indiana, a young mother and her boyfriend…

Georgia Officer’s Request for New Trial Denied in Case of Teen’s Fatal Shooting

This week, a judge turned down a plea for a retrial from…

Negligence in Custody: Jail Staff Face Lawsuit Over Tragic Death of Lupus Patient Denied Hospital Care

Inset: Courtney Tinker (Springsteen Law Firm). Background: The Jefferson County Detention Facility…

Three-Year-Old Undergoes Dialysis After Severe Injuries; Mother and Boyfriend Allegedly Attribute to ‘Sleepwalking’ Incident, According to Police Investigation

Left to right: Kami Nelson and Lee E. O’Donnell Jr. (Henry County…

Woman Allegedly Attacks Grandfather’s Spouse with Bat, Blames ‘Mommy’ for Incident, Police Report

Share A woman from Tennessee is facing serious charges after allegedly assaulting…

Suspect With Unique Head Shape Accused in Tragic Home Invasion: No Remorse for 2-Year-Old Victim

Left: Bles’Syn Lightner (Buggs Funeral Home). Right: Clifford Long (Brevard County Jail).…

Gainesville Resident Faces DUI Charges Following Crash with Borrowed Vehicle

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours of this morning,…

Massive Witness List Unveiled in High-Profile Trial of Accused Killer Cop

As ex-police officer Beaumont Lamarre-Condon’s months-long double murder trial draws closer, prosecutors…

DNA Breakthrough: Infamous Killer Finally Linked to Long-Unsolved 1974 Murder Mystery

The murder of a US teen in 1974 has finally been solved,…

DA Reveals Chilling Murder Plot: Husband Enlists Accomplice for Mistress’ Ex, Personally Targets Wife and Mother-in-Law

Inset: Beimin Cheng, left, and Linlin Guo (GoFundMe). Background: Police in Walnut…