Elizabeth Holmes urged a U.S. judge not to send her to prison, as the founder of Theranos Inc. prepares to be sentenced next week for defrauding investors in the blood testing startup, Reuters reported. In a Thursday night court filing, lawyers for Holmes asked that she receive 18 months of home confinement, followed by community service, at her Nov. 18 sentencing before U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California. The lawyers said prison time was unnecessary to deter future wrongdoing, calling Holmes, 38, a "singular human with much to give" and not the robotic, emotionless "caricature" seen by the public and media. "No defendant should be made a martyr to public passion," the lawyers wrote. "We ask that the court consider, as it must, the real person, the real company and the complex circumstances surrounding the offense."Prosecutors are expected to file their sentencing recommendation soon. A jury convicted Holmes in January on four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. Each count carries a maximum 20-year prison term. Any sentence would likely be served concurrently.
