The Facts
On Tuesday, Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the disgraced blood-testing start-up Theranos, was taken into custody to begin serving her 11-year prison sentence at a women’s prison camp in Bryan, Texas.
Holmes was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud in January 2022, stemming from the blood lab she founded in 2003 at age 19. Her start-up, which drew valuations of more than $9B, received investments from many high-profile people, including Rupert Murdoch, the Walton family, and former US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
The Spin
Narrative A
Holmes, one of the century’s biggest fraudsters, has shown little genuine remorse for her lies, but now she gets rewarded by getting to serve her sentence in a cushy prison “camp” with minimum security. Considering the severity of her crimes, Holmes got off easy.
Narrative B
Holmes is the latest victim of the US' unfair federal justice system, which is far too strict and arbitrary. There was no mandatory minimum sentence in this case, and she was over-sentenced for wire fraud convictions. This sentence is way more punitive than it is rehabilitative.
