Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence and $800 million in restitution in their case against Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
Holmes was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud after Theranos failed to deliver on Holmes’ promise. The case sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, with some experts warning it could open a much larger door to executives being prosecuted anytime their companies don’t deliver.
With the sentencing phase of the case now in full swing, prosecutors want Holmes sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to The Guardian. They also want her to pay $800 million in restitution. Holmes could face a maximum of 20 years.
Holmes’ attorney is arguing that the former exec should not receive any jail time.
“Ms Holmes is no danger to the public,” Holmes’s lawyer said in the court documents. “She has no criminal history, has a perfect pretrial services compliance record, and is described by the people who know her repeatedly as a gentle and loving person who tries to do the right thing.”
“Ms Holmes will never be able to seek another job or meet a new friend without the negative caricature acting as a barrier,” her lawyers argued.
Concerned citizens have written the court in favor of Holmes, including none other than New Jersey senator Cory Booker.
“In the years since, I’ve always been struck by the way our conversations focused on her desires to make a positive impact on the world,” Booker wrote. “I still believe that she holds on to the hope that she can make contributions to the lives of others, and that she can, despite mistakes, make the world a better place.”