Elizabeth Holmes booked one-way trip to Mexico after conviction, prosecutors say

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes purchased a one-way ticket to Mexico shortly after she was convicted of fraud, which suggests she was gearing up to flee the country, according to new court filings.

In January, 37-year-old Holmes was convicted in federal court on charges of conspiracy to defraud investors as well as wire fraud and conspiracy.

Following a high-profile trial in San Jose, Calif. and weeks of deliberation, jurors concluded the woman once hailed as a tech superstar was guilty of bilking investors out of millions by claiming her new health technology, a test nicknamed Edison, could distribute a wide range of tests with just a drop of blood even though she knew it did not work.

Holmes was ultimately sentenced to 11 years in prison, a term that is slated to start this spring despite her many efforts to appeal.

In response to a recent motion for release, prosecutors said in a filing Thursday Holmes purchased an airline ticket to Mexico, which was scheduled to leave shortly after she was convicted last January. There was no scheduled return trip.

Holmes’ attorneys said in a recent email she booked the flight to attend a wedding abroad. They also noted she adjusted her plans after the jury made their ruling last January.

“Given the verdict, she does not plan to take the trip — and therefore did not provide notice, seek permission, or request access to her passport (which the government has) for the trip. But she also had not yet cancelled the trip, amidst everything that has been going on,” her legal team wrote.

Holmes, who is pregnant, was ordered to report to prison on April 27, a timeline that allows her to give birth to her second child before she is jailed. She welcomed a son shortly before her trial started last year.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 17.

With News Wire Services