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Federal Criminal Trialtrial-daytrial-dayJohn C. BosticJeff SchenkKevin M. DowneyKatherine TrefzLance A. WadeRoberto AmentaSunil DhawanNimesh JhaveridirectcrossredirectrecrossDay 19 - October 14, 2021Walgreens executive Nimesh Jhaveri described an expansion plan conditioned on operational metrics, while qualifying favorable patient surveys and reported accuracy assurances. Sunil Dhawan testified that his laboratory-director work was limited and that he signed validation reports without having seen the Edison run an assay.
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Day 19 - October 14, 2021

Walgreens Expansion Metrics, Dhawan’s Limited Lab Role, and Fedwire Records

Judge Edward J. Davila
8Proceedings
4Pages
3Witnesses
2,307Lines
Day 19 of 51
Appearing:

Walgreens executive Nimesh Jhaveri described an expansion plan conditioned on operational metrics, while qualifying favorable patient surveys and reported accuracy assurances. Sunil Dhawan testified that his laboratory-director work was limited and that he signed validation reports without having seen the Edison run an assay.

Full day summary

Before the jury entered, the court admitted the email portion of Exhibit 3217 and the fact that it carried an attachment but deferred admission of the CMS attachment. The court also permitted inquiry into when Sunil Dhawan formed a disputed concern about possible patient harm. Roberto Amenta then identified Theranos-related Fedwire transfers, including an August 2015 payment of $1,126,661 to Horizon Media, and explained that the transactions required interstate communication. On cross-examination, he acknowledged that the records did not tell him why the transfers were made or who authorized them. Nimesh Jhaveri testified that Walgreens evaluated the Theranos pilot through measures including fingerstick use, venous-draw rates, patient volume, wait times, satisfaction, staffing, and cost. He attributed several venous-draw projections to Ramesh Balwani, said the projected thresholds were not met, and described a reduction in the planning goal from 500 stores to 200 as operational concerns persisted. Cross-examination established that Walgreens intended a national rollout and received favorable patient-experience ratings, but Jhaveri maintained that expansion depended on feasibility, performance metrics, and service delivery. On redirect, he explained that the surveys were completed before patients received results and that Theranos selected the survey information provided to Walgreens because Walgreens lacked the raw data. Dhawan testified that Balwani recruited him for what was presented as a limited laboratory-director role. He estimated that he worked no more than about five to ten hours through June or July 2015 and recalled little involvement with patient results, reporting decisions, or quality control. Shortly before a CMS inspection, he signed 58 validation reports after reviewing their first pages and relying partly on Adam Rosendorff's earlier signatures, although he had never seen the Edison run an assay. Dhawan attended part of the inspection but was asked no questions, said his interaction with Elizabeth Holmes was limited to a greeting, and testified that he learned of resulting regulatory challenges through a July 2016 sanctions-related email. Cross-examination was scheduled to continue the next morning.

2. Roberto Amenta — Direct/Cross (Continued)

Roberto Amenta completed testimony about interstate wire transfers after a jury admonition, acknowledged the limits of his personal knowledge on cross-examination, and was excused before Nimesh Jhaveri was sworn.

Procedural
Jury Admonition and Trial Housekeeping

The court repeated its juror non-discussion admonition, explained that some attorneys might leave for another court appearance, and resumed Roberto Amenta's testimony.

Direct
Roberto AmentaJohn C. Bostic
112 lines

Roberto Amenta traced six 2013–2014 Fedwire transfers to Theranos, testified that they necessarily crossed state lines, and described a 2015 Theranos payment to Horizon Media after Exhibit 5428 was admitted.

Cross
Roberto AmentaKatherine Trefz
28 lines

Roberto Amenta agreed that pulling the wire-transfer records gave him no personal knowledge of their reasons, authorization, or purpose.

Highlights

3. Nimesh Jhaveri — Direct/Cross/Redirect/Recross

Nimesh Jhaveri completed testimony about Walgreens' Theranos partnership, including fingerstick expectations, venous-draw rates, expansion conditions, patient surveys, accuracy concerns, and his reliance on Theranos' representations. The prosecution then called Sunil Dhawan.

Direct
Nimesh JhaveriJeff Schenk
654 lines

Nimesh Jhaveri testified that Walgreens tied Theranos expansion to fingerstick use and other pilot metrics, repeatedly missed projected venous-draw reductions, and sought greater technology and financial transparency.

Cross
Nimesh JhaveriKevin M. Downey
646 lines

Jhaveri testified that Walgreens's ambitious Theranos rollout remained conditional on operational metrics, while patient surveys were strong and an escalated accuracy concern reportedly satisfied Walgreens medical officers.

Redirect
Nimesh JhaveriJeff Schenk
121 lines

Jhaveri clarified that Walgreens's expansion goals were conditional, favorable surveys preceded test results and relied on Theranos-selected data, and his praise of Holmes rested on assumed accuracy and honesty.

Recross
Nimesh JhaveriKevin M. Downey
58 lines

Jhaveri described a positive personal experience with Theranos services but framed accuracy and quality-control practices as assumptions and acknowledged limits in his knowledge and recollection.

Highlights

Nimesh Jhaveri — Directtestimony highlightJhaveri attributed three 2014 venous-draw projections to Balwani and testified that none of the projected thresholds was achieved.Nimesh Jhaveri — Directtestimony highlightJhaveri testified that Walgreens reduced a planning goal from 500 stores to 200 because pilot results and the operating model remained imperfect, with venous draws, construction expense, training, and phlebotomist staffing among the concerns.Nimesh Jhaveri — Cross“WE HAD EVERY INTENTION TO GO TO A NATIONAL ROLLOUT, AGAIN, IF IT WAS OPERATIONALLY FEASIBLE, THE METRICS WERE MADE, AND THE ACTUAL SERVICE DELIVERED ON ITS PROMISE.”— Nimesh JhaveriJhaveri framed Walgreens's national ambition as expressly conditional on feasibility, performance metrics, and service delivery.Nimesh Jhaveri — Crossevidence eventAfter Exhibit 2394 was admitted, Jhaveri confirmed strong patient-experience ratings while explaining that patient satisfaction was one metric among wait time, cost, buildout, and venous-draw rates.Nimesh Jhaveri — Redirecttestimony highlightJhaveri explained that patient surveys were completed before test results became available and therefore did not measure patients' later views of result accuracy.Nimesh Jhaveri — Redirect“WALGREENS'S TEAM DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ANY OF THE RAW DATA FROM THE SURVEY RESULTS.”— Nimesh JhaveriThe statement establishes that Walgreens received survey information selected and summarized by Theranos rather than the underlying data.

4. Sunil Dhawan — Direct/Cross

Sunil Dhawan testified about his limited laboratory-director role, his signing of validation reports before a CMS inspection, and his assumptions about Sunny Balwani's authority. Cross-examination began and was set to continue the next morning.

Direct
Sunil DhawanJeff Schenk
435 lines

Sunil Dhawan described serving as Theranos's laboratory director with little operational involvement, signing 58 validation reports without seeing the Edison run an assay, and learning long afterward that the CMS inspection had produced problems.

Cross
Sunil DhawanLance A. Wade
161 lines

Dhawan testified that he barely interacted with Holmes, assumed rather than knew that Balwani ran the laboratory, and relied on staff to prepare documents correctly; the court also admitted records concerning his regulatory qualifications and Lynette Sawyer's laboratory-director role.

Highlights

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