Fashion tech entrepreneur Christine Hunsicker, who argued that a mirror falling on her head caused brain injury leading to a near $300mn fraud, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Judge Paul Oetken said she knew the fraud was wrong despite acknowledging the injury was real and contributed.

Prosecutors cited internet searches for “fraud” and creation of a fake audit firm, and compared her to Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos. Hunsicker founded apparel‑rental startup Caa Stle, which raised hundreds of millions from investors including Henry Kravis and Alphabet chair John Hennessy, and secured partnerships with Ralph Lauren and Vince.

The company collapsed after investors discovered she had falsified revenue and audited statements for years, at times inflating revenues 70‑fold. She pleaded guilty to securities fraud in March, claiming the mirror‑induced trauma eliminated executive functioning and left her awake only four to five hours a day.

The government sought more than 12 years, arguing she remained cogent enough to conceal her lies, pointing to a Goldman Sachs talk and post‑fraud searches like “bank fraud vs. wire fraud severity”. Judge Oetken ordered $283 million in forfeiture and restitution and set her prison start date for October 12.