(MENAFN) Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, the former executive of Theranos, has delayed the start of his nearly 13-year prison sentence for his role in a blood-testing hoax he orchestrated with his former boss and lover, Elizabeth Holmes. Balwani was set to surrender to authorities on Thursday, but his lawyer filed documents notifying U.S. District Judge Edward Davila that he would not be doing so.
The notice cited a last-minute appeal of Davila's ruling, rejecting Balwani's request to remain free while attempting to overturn his conviction on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy. The appeal, filed on Wednesday, triggered an automatic stay of his prison reporting date, which had been set for 2 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday. Balwani, who is 57 years old, has been free on bail since a jury convicted him last July, allowing him to remain out of prison until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rules on Davila's recent ruling, according to the notice filed by Balwani's attorney, Jeffrey Coopersmith.
It is currently unclear how long it will take for the appeals court to deal with the ruling, leaving the start of Balwani's prison sentence in limbo. Balwani's involvement in the Theranos scandal, which involved falsely claiming that the company had developed technology capable of conducting a wide range of medical tests with just a few drops of blood, has been a major scandal in the medical industry.
Balwani's last-minute appeal demonstrates his continued fight to overturn his conviction and avoid serving time in prison. With the appeals court yet to rule on the matter, it remains to be seen when or if Balwani will ultimately begin his prison sentence. The ongoing legal battle surrounding the Theranos scandal has been closely watched by industry experts and the public alike, as it raises important questions about corporate fraud and accountability in the healthcare sector.
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