Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes attempted to flee US, prosecutors claim

Theranos laminitis Elizabeth Holmes attempted to fly the US soon aft her condemnation connected fraud charges past year, prosecutors claim.

According to a caller tribunal filing, the 38-year-old bought a one-way summons to Mexico past January.

"Only aft the authorities raised this unauthorised flight... was the travel cancelled," prosecutors said.

Holmes was convicted for defrauding investors successful her humor investigating start-up that was erstwhile valued astatine $9bn (£7.5bn).

The erstwhile Silicon Valley prima falsely claimed the exertion could diagnose illness with conscionable a fewer drops of blood. But it did not enactment and - facing aggregate lawsuits - the institution was dissolved successful 2018.

The latest tribunal filing, which was submitted connected Thursday, besides said Holmes's spouse had bought a one-way summons to Mexico.

"The authorities anticipates [Holmes] volition enactment successful reply that she did not successful information permission the state arsenic scheduled - but it is hard to cognize with certainty what [she] would person done had the authorities not intervened," prosecutors said.

The BBC has contacted a lawyer for Holmes to petition comment.

Holmes was convicted successful aboriginal January 2022 of defrauding investors, and past sentenced successful November to much than 11 years successful prison. During her sentencing hearing, she was ordered to self-surrender to situation connected 27 April this year.

But she appealed her condemnation soon aft and is asking a justice to fto her stay escaped beyond April portion her entreaty is heard successful national court. That process could instrumentality a year.

Her lawyers besides claimed Holmes would rise "substantial questions" that could warrant a caller trial.

The latest tribunal filing successful California said Holmes has been paying $13,000 (£10,500) a period to unrecorded connected an property arsenic her entreaty is heard.

Prosecutors privation her to surrender arsenic planned successful April. "The clip has travel for Elizabeth Holmes to reply for her crimes committed astir a decennary ago," they said. "There are not 2 systems of justness - 1 for the affluent and 1 for the poor."

A justice volition perceive her question to hold her situation condemnation pending entreaty connected 17 March.

Holmes launched Theranos aft dropping retired of Stanford University astatine property 19. The company's worth skyrocketed aft executives claimed it could bring astir a gyration successful illness diagnosis.

The emergence and autumn of the start-up was chronicled successful respective fashionable podcasts and TV shows, including a Hulu bid called The Dropout, with Amanda Seyfried starring arsenic Holmes.

Holmes's concern partner, Sunny Balwani, the erstwhile president of Theranos, was sentenced to astir 13 years successful situation successful December.

Holmes has apologised for her concern "failings" and said she has "felt heavy symptom for what radical went through, due to the fact that I failed them".