Former Theranos exec Sunny Balwani found guilty – TechCrunch

According to Elizabeth Homes, CEO, Balwani has been accused of cheating patients

Former Theranos COO And humiliated ex-boyfriend Elizabeth Homes founder Sunni Balwani has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of felony criminal mischief.

Holmes was not convicted of fraud in her own high profile trial this summer, but was convicted of four counts of defrauding and defrauding investors. However, Sonny Balwani was convicted of fraud and conspiracy to defraud both investors and patients.

As anyone who has seen The Dropout knows, Teranos wanted to do dozens of tests on a single drop of blood, which could change the healthcare industry. But despite the estimated $ 10 billion in development and more than a decade in development, terracotta technology has not worked properly, and in the worst cases, patients have been exposed to dangerous false medical results. At one point, a mother with a miscarriage was mistakenly told that she would have another miscarriage. Another patient, Erin Tompkins, used Teranos for low cost, was diagnosed with HIV positive, and lived in Limbo for three months until a second blood test. She does not actually have HIV.

Balwani is now responsible for what happened to Tompkins, as well as patient Merl Elsworth’s false cancer diagnosis.

Holmes and Balwani should have tried to cheat together, but a separate trial was held in which former chief executive Balwani – the 20-year-old – was emotionally and sexually assaulted. Although the court did not rule on the charges, the judge granted the request.

Throughout the trial, Balwani’s lawyers tried to argue that he was not involved in key decision-making, although he was an investor and executive in Teranos. But this is a serious argument for the judges who have seen the text from Balwani to Holmes: “I am responsible for everything in Teranos.”

In her own trial, Holmes’ defense tried to attribute the company’s collapse to Balvani. She herself took a stand – unusual in her own criminal trial – to detail their relationship. Holmes Balwani said she has great control over herself and her company, including her daily routine, how she dresses and what she eats.

The Balvanese prosecutor presented the same evidence against Holmes. Prosecutor Teranos focused on key evidence in his relationship with Walgreens. Biotech startup incorrect technology has entered 41 Walgreens stores, but most of the experiments were unknowingly carried out by third-party devices. Teranos’ own machines failed to produce accurate results, so many patients had blood transfusions, not fingerprints. So, Walgreens has basically spent hundreds of millions of dollars redesigning Teranos ‘health centers’ stores so that the beginner can use the same old technology.

Balwani’s lawyers said otherwise, but Walgreens’ executive testified that he had worked closely with Balwani. Evidence from the Balvanese to Homs shows that the prosecutor did not inform Walgreens about the use of various machines.

It took seven days for Holmes’ trial to be decided, but the Balvanese judges reached a decision on the fifth day. Both former Teranos executives are awaiting sentencing.

This story is growing…