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The ex-lover who served as Elizabeth Holmes’ chief operating officer at the now-defunct tech startup Theranos is set to go on trial in California on Wednesday.
Attorneys are preparing to make opening arguments before a jury of six men and four women in the trial of Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani at federal court in San Jose.
Balwani’s trial comes weeks after Holmes was found guilty of several counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces up to 80 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for September.
Prosecutors in the Balwani case could call Holmes to the stand in order to testify against her ex-boyfriend.
Legal observers believe Holmes could offer up incriminating testimony against her former lover in an attempt to have prosecutors recommend a lighter prison sentence.
During her trial, Holmes accused Balwani of sexual and verbal abuse. She told the jury that his behavior toward her “impacted everything about who I was.” Balwani has denied the allegation.
Federal prosecutors allege that Holmes and Balwani misled investors about a revolutionary device that could allow people to test their own blood at home using a finger prick.
Balwani has pleaded not guilty.
The trial of Balwani is scheduled to finally begin on Wednesday after a lengthy jury selection process complicated by the intense publicity surrounding the Holmes case.
Balwani, a tech millionaire, was 18 years older than then-Stanford student Holmes when they met in Beijing in 2002.
Holmes installed Balwani as chief operating officer at Theranos
During her trial, Holmes claimed her ex was physically, emotionally and sexually abusive during their decade-long relationship.
“He told me that I didn’t know what I was doing in business, that my convictions were wrong, that he was astonished at my mediocrity and if I followed my instincts I was going to fail,” she testified.
“He would force me to have sex with him when I didn’t want to because he wanted me to know he still loved me.”
She also alleged under oath that he exerted high degrees of control over her.
Balwani is said to have told Holmes what to eat, estranged her from her family, and put her on a schedule that had her working seven days per week.
According to Slate, he snooped on her text messages and hurled “sharp, hard objects” at her.
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