In the first episode, audiences are revealed a very important fact about television - drug chemists arent actually a thing on television. Sonja Farak from How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Photo: Netflix) By Alex Finnis. Over 40,000 drug convictions were excluded due to Annie Dookhan and Sonja Faraks criminal misconduct (both were sentenced for their crimes). The prosecutors have been tied to the drug lab scandal involving disgraced former state chemist Sonja Farak, who admitted to stealing and using drugs from an Amherst state lab. A judge's ruling that tossed out a defendant's conviction because of a drug lab scandal has now jeopardized nearly 10,000 convictions tied to disgraced former state chemist Sonja Farak and the . I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. And surprisingly, its actually her! A spokesperson for Attorney General Maura Healey said the AG has long been clear that the conduct that occurred during the previous administration was completely unacceptable and her focus has always been making sure the mistakes of the past never happen again., She implemented a clear policy relating to the disclosure of evidence that is covered at mandatory trainings, created an internal ethics committee, and is committed to continually enhancing the offices integrity practices, the spokesperson added. She played as the starting guard for Portsmouth High Schools freshman team. Updated Yes, it is so exciting to put a series out and I think the series is well-reported and researched but its something that happened in the midst of her addiction, and she was incredibly embarrassed about it. Sasson, Turnbull, Ryan & Hoose The newest true crime series from Netflix, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, was released on April 1, 2020. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. The hammer came down, so to speak, when it was discovered Farak had been high when testing drug samples from Renaldo Penates case. Sonja Farak, who works at a lab in Amherst, in western Massachusetts, removed from a case file a substance that tested positive for cocaine and replaced it with one that didn't, state Attorney . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Would love your thoughts, please comment. After searching her work station, they found a vial of oxycodone and 11.7 grams of cocaine, along with kits to use crack. The surveillance of the chemists as well as the standards and the confiscated drugs has also been increased considerably. She first worked at the Hinton State Laboratory in Jamaica Plain for a year as a bacteriologist working on HIV tests before she transferred to the Amherst Lab for drug analysis. How to Fix a Drug Scandal 's four episodes break down how chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan tampered with evidence from tens of thousands of cases. This arrest comes just three months after the arrest of Annie Dookhan, a former Massachusetts chemist at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory in Jamaica Plain, who is charged with obstruction of justice, mishandling of drug evidence and lying about holding a masters degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts. We allege that this chemist tampered with evidence, placing the integrity of that evidence in question, Coakley said in a statement. Dookhan and Farak Case Hotline: 888-999-2881. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? Sonja Farak is at the center of Netflix's new true crime docuseries, How To Fix a Drug Scandal. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. They wrote that she served 13 months and was paroled sometime in 2015. Inwardly though, Sonja Farak was striving. If you're on the prowl for . Dookhan, 34, faces charges in several counties in Massachusetts because she had previously testified in various trials in her former official capacity as a chemist. Most of entertainment usually involves male characters or people in some way as the key players of a story, but this documentary shows that that isn't always the case. Only a few months after Dookhan's conviction, it was discovered that another Massachusetts crime lab worker, Sonja Farak, who was addicted to drugs . Farak started her drug use by experimenting with liquid methamphetamine, but her addiction quickly becomes a habit and she started consuming other drugs such as cocaine, and crack, which she smoked in her drug labs bathroom, per Rolling Stone. As How to Fix a Drug Scandal explores, Farak had long struggled with her mental . Northampton, MA 01060 Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. Based on the investigation, authorities allege that Farak tampered with drug evidence at the lab. Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. I was provided for in every way, Farak testified. The Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office deliberately hid information about Faraks misconduct and enabled defendants to be sent to prison even though the proof presented in court was changed with. In 2019, the chemist was spotted at federal court in Springfield, MA , attending a civil case. The case notoriously involved a rare one . I felt euphoric, Kogan wrote of Farak. Every single day, Farak would get high; the chemist used the bathroom to smoke crack and the lab facilities to cook more. According to Matt Segal, Legal Director of ACLU of Massachusetts, the justice system is set up to where it is "so easy to hold onto a wrongful conviction and so hard to overcome it.". You know, no special treatment. She shone academically as well. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Please limit your input to 500 characters. According to the Washington Post, a judge who had looked into the case in 2016 described the prosecutors actions intentional, repeated, prolonged and deceptive withholding of evidence from the defendants.In 2014, Farak was found guilty of changing with evidence, ownership of illegal drugs, and stealing cocaine from the lab. Robertson rejected Kaczmarek's claims she should not be held responsible for the turning over of exculpatory evidence because she was not part of the "prosecution team" in Penate's case. 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She worked there for a year but soon understood she wouldnt make sufficient money there in the Boston area to buy a house. If she puts her mind to something, she can do it, Amy told the producers of How to Fix a Drug Scandal.. Reporter. Am I somebody who took her personhood? According to a Rolling Stone piece on Farak, she struggled with depression from an early age, one that hasnt responded to medication. They wrote that Farak attempted suicide in high school and was also hospitalized while in college. In 2014, former Amherst drug lab chemist Sonja Farak was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison after it was discovered that she stole and used drugs that she was entrusted to test. Ive been struggling with that, Carr said Its very uncomfortable and I dont know what its been like for her.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So, in a way, it is not from her that the queue of the blame should begin; it should be from the lab and the authorities themselves. READ NEXT: Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Soon after, the state police took over the control, and the lab was moved to Springfield, where it remains under the supervision of the state police. In her response to the lawsuit, Farak wrote: I agree that I began stealing and using the state labs supply of methamphetamine oil, but I do not recall if it was late 2004 or early 2005 so I cannot agree with the year stated.. Moreover, more than 24,000 cases ended up being dismissed due to Faraks misconduct. Kaczmarek failed to disclose information and intentionally misrepresented the evidence she had, and worked to actively shut down inquiry and deflect zealous work by Farak defendants counsel who were doing their jobs by requesting evidence of Faraks misconduct, according to the report. (The Massachusetts 2017 group exoneration involving chemist Annie Dookhan took place at the main lab.) According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. The crime laboratory in Amherst stores and analyzes alleged controlled substances seized by local and state police. In 2018, the Supreme Judicial Court dismissed an additional 16,000 drug convictions because of former chemist Sonja Farak's malfeasance at the State Laboratory Institute in Amherst (Amherst Drug Lab) between 2004 and 2013. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was hospitalized. Now that her case has been brought into the public eye again since Netflix released How To Fix a Drug Scandal, many will be wondering what has happened to her. Because of Ms. Faraks misconduct, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered the automatic dismissal with prejudice of drug cases tested by Ms. Farak at the Amherst Drug Lab effective April 5, 2017. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Drug lab cases information, is. In the documentary, an actress plays Sonja Farak for B-roll scenes, and that actress is Shannon ONeill. Sonja had stolen samples from her colleagues' tests and amended the lab database to cover her tracks. In episode 3, audiences are introduced to the ACLU and its involvement in the case. Lets find out. After serving just a year of her 18 month sentence, Farak was released from prison in 2015. Her parents were depicted as loving, and somewhat strict. (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx "No reasonablejury could conclude that this evidence is not favorable.". The special hearing officer found Kaczmarek "displayed no remorse" and was "not candid" during the disciplinary proceedings. A final decision is still pending and must be approved by the state Supreme Judicial Court. Sonja Farak Photo: Netflix. | Powered by Artimization. A search of her bag later showed the ingredients for cooking her own cocaine: baking soda, candle wax, and modeling clay, along with utensils that she could use to make it. This Board of Bar Overseers report comes as Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins last week said shes asking the states highest court to toss thousands of convictions for which evidence was processed at the now-disgraced Hinton lab. Read More: Where is Sonja Farak Sister Now? She states "you aren't going to find a Forensic Files or a CSI: Miamithat covers a drug case." According to the notes, Farak thought it gave her energy, helped her to get things done and not procrastinate, feel more positive., Her partner Nikki Lee testified before a grand jury that she herself had tried cocaine, that she had observed Farak using cocaine in 2000, and that she had marijuana in her house when police officers arrived to search the premises as part of their investigation of Farak., In Faraks testimony during a grand jury investigation, she said that she became a recreational drug user during graduate school and used cocaine, marihuana, and ecstasy. She also said she used heroin one time and was nervous and sick and hated every minute of it [and had] no desire to use [it] again., Farak met and settled down with Nikki Lee in her 20s. Three former Massachusetts assistant attorneys general all engaged in misconduct while investigating a state drug lab scandal involving disgraced former-chemist Sonja Farak, according to the . Why did she do that and where has it left her? 1. Thank you for your website feedback! One of the reasons for the decrepit state and standard of the Amherst lab was the lack of funds. Her interest soon led to a regular drug habit. Get the latest headlines, releases and insider-gossip direct to your inbox with our Binge-worthy newsletter. In 2019, Sonja was seen leaving Springfield Federal Court but declined to speak to press. According to the ACLU, she became a voice for the ACLU in 2012, which is right around the time when the Sonja Farak case exploded. To find out if your case was affected by either Ms. Dookhan or Ms. Farak, you can call a toll-free hotline operated by defense lawyers with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency in Massachusetts. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Massachusetts authorities are reviewing the sentences of 1,140 people who are in prison after being convicted with evidence at least partly provided by Dookhan. She is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday morning in Eastern Hampshire District Court. Learn The Real Facts About What Dinosaur Had 500 Teeth. Faraks sister Amy Farak said her sister outshined at sports. Initially, she had represented herself in answer to the complaints lodged against her, but later, she turned to Susan Sachs, who represented her since, not just on the Penate lawsuit, but also on any other case that emerged as the result of her actions in Amherst. She was trying to suppress mental health issues, depression in specific, and she attempted to kill herself in high school, according to Rolling Stone. Sincevery few people willingly dabble in drugs, its more of a question to ask why is this person using drugs to begin with? This is even further legitimized when it's revealed Sonja Farak was dealing with depression since she was 16 years old. Her role was to test for the presence of illegal substances, which could be instrumental in thousands of . April 2, 2020 12:56 pm. In the . They were all rendered unacceptable. Farak pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with evidence, four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorized dispensary, and two counts of possession of cocaine in 2014. She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. The new numbers appear in a report issued by a court-designated "Special Master." The responsibility of the mess that she created should also rest upon the shoulders of her workplace that allowed her the opportunity to indulge so freely in drugs in the first place. 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