SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in prison for duping investors in the failed startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing but instead made her a symbol of Silicon Valley ambition that veered into deceit.
The sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila was shorter than the 15-year penalty requested by federal prosecutors but far tougher than the leniency her legal team sought for the mother of a year-old son with another child on the way.
Holmes, 38, faced a maximum of 20 years in prison. Her legal team requested no more than 18 months, preferably served in home confinement.
“This is a very heavy sentence,” said Rachel Fiset, a defense lawyer who has also been involved in health care cases.
Holmes, who was CEO throughout the company’s turbulent 15-year history, was convicted in January in the scheme, which revolved around the company’s claims to have developed a medical device that could detect a multitude of diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood. But the technology never worked, and the claims were false.
Theranos was dashed “by misrepresentations, hubris and just plain lies,” the judge said.
“This case is so troubling on so many levels,” Davila said. “What was it that caused Ms. Holmes to make the decisions she did? Was there a loss of a moral compass?”
Holmes’ meteoric rise once landed her on the covers of business magazines that hailed her as the next Steve Jobs. And her deception was persuasive enough to draw in a list of sophisticated investors, including software magnate Larry Ellison, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family behind Walmart.
She sobbed as she told the judge she accepted responsibility for her actions.
“I regret my failings with every cell of my body,” Holmes said. She promised Davila she would devote the remainder of her life to trying to help others.
Holmes’ attorney, Kevin Downey, indicated she would appeal the sentence. Holmes and her family left the courthouse by a side entrance and managed to evade reporters and photographers.
Before handing down the sentence, Davila reflected on Silicon Valley’s transition from an agricultural hub populated by farmers and ranchers to a “crucible of innovation” brimming with bright-eyed entrepreneurs dreaming of changing the world.
Recalling the humble beginnings of technology pioneer Hewlett-Packard in a small garage in Palo Alto — the same city where Theranos was based — he spoke wistfully of “honest, hard work.”
“That, I would hope, will be the legacy and continuation of this valley,” the judge said.
Amanda Kramer, a former federal prosecutor who is now a defense attorney, described the sentence as “the equivalent of neon, flashing billboard” offering “a reminder the long-term consequences of fraud far outweigh any short-term gains.”
