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Ramesh Sunny Balwani, the Indian-origin former chief operating officer of a US-based failed blood-testing start-up, Theranos, has lost his bid to remain free while he appeals his conviction on fraud charges that prosecutors said risked patient health and defrauded the firm's investors of millions of dollars, according to a media report. A federal judge on Thursday, in a 17-page ruling, denied the motion by Balwani to remain free until his appeal to a higher court is resolved, the CBS News channel reported. US District Judge Edward Davila held a nearly two-hour hearing on Balwani's motion in mid-February but delayed ruling until six days before the convict must report to prison. Balwani, 57, was sentenced in December last year in California to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison for fraud that risked patient health by misrepresenting the accuracy of Theranos blood analysis technology and that defrauded the blood-testing company's investors of millions of dollars. In addition to
Former Theranos executive Ramesh Sunny" Balwani returned to federal court Friday in a last-ditch attempt to stay out of prison while appealing a jury's verdict convicting him of orchestrating a blood-testing hoax with his former boss and lover, Elizabeth Holmes. Besides overseeing arguments about Balwani's attempt to delay the start of his nearly 13-year prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila also heard a vigorous debate about how much money Balwani should pay investors and patients duped by the Theranos blood tests that never worked as promised. The deceit resulted in Balwani's conviction on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy. Davila didn't issue any rulings at the end of the 90-minute hearing. His decision on whether Balwani can remain free on bail while he appeals his conviction, however, is likely to come soon. That's because Balwani, 57, is scheduled to report to prison in Lompoc, California, on March 15. The judge said he doesn't expect to decide on the question of