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We will use this information to improve this page. During her trial, her defense lawyer Elaine Pourinski said that Farak wasnt taking drugs to party, but instead to control her depression. She had also kept a detailed daily record of her substance abuse for a drug counsellor, which noted that she used. As How to Fix a Drug Scandal explores, Farak had long struggled with her mental . Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. 24 Federal Street, 4th Floor 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. Thank you! 2. She states "you aren't going to find a Forensic Files or a CSI: Miamithat covers a drug case." She was caught with evidence files under her desk, including unsealed envelopes . Sonja Farak's actions also tell a tragic but riveting tale of addiction and how far it can push a person. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Vizaca.com participates in many affiliate marketing programs & sponsored content which means we get paid commissions on products purchased through our links to retail websites. The newest true crime series from Netflix, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, was released on April 1, 2020. Sonja Farak's net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million in 2020. She disclosed to her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. In high school, Farak became the first girl to play high school football in the state of Rhode Island and made local headlines. The Board of Bar Overseers (BBO) is reviewing the actions of three prosecutors in the investigation of the scandal to determine whether any of them deliberately withheld potentially exculpatory evidence. Between August 2004 and January 2013, chemistSonja Farakengaged in serious misconduct at the state drug lab in Amherst that jeopardized the integrity of thousands of cases, mostly in Western Massachusetts. On a Friday afternoon in January 2013, a call came in to Coakley's office: "We have another Annie Dookhan out west." Earlier that day, a chemist at the Amherst drug lab had tracked . Dookhan was convicted of falsifying test . 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. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She purchased a home there in 2006. Carr weaves Farak's story into that of another Massachusetts chemist, Annie Dookhan, who worked across the state at the Hinton drug lab in Boston. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Her job was to define whether a substance someone was caught carrying was really cocaine, meth, or something else. In the . Commonwealth Magazine - After rare public trial, disciplinary case now in hands of hearing officer THE JANUARY 2013 drug arrest of disgraced Massachusetts state chemist Sonja Farak and its impact on thousands of drug cases was widely reported as it unfolded, and memorialized to devastating effect in Netflix's docu-series How to Fix a Drug Scandal. She really did, at certain times, tried to stop doing this but couldnt.. . I could not imagine being high on liquid methamphetamine and hiding it, day in, day out, Carr told, adding that her preliminary curiosity surrounding Farak kicked off the making of the docuseries. Her ar-rest led to the dismissal of thousands of drug cases in Massachusetts. In fact, Farak was highly achieved before all her battles. In 2013, Massachusetts State Police arrested 35-year-old crime drug lab chemist Sonja Farak for tampering with evidence: and that was only the beginning. I think shes a good person, she said. Yet, the cases of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhanbecame "one of the largest mass dismissals of criminal convictions in United States history." Farak was a former lab chemist at a lab in Amherst, Massachusetts and was convicted of stealing and using drugs from the lab where she worked. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy . (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. 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. "The mental health worksheets constituted admissions by the state lab chemist assigned to analyze the samples seized in Plaintiffs case that she was stealing and using lab samples to feed a drug addiction at the time she was testing and certifying the samples in Plaintiffs case, including, in one instance, on the very day that she certified a sample," Robertson's ruling reads. Please limit your input to 500 characters. investigating Farak for misconduct at the Amherst Drug Lab. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a . Northampton, MA 01060 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. Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. Its a quick two-shot sequence, but it provides punny humor for those that caught the joke. She Was Born in 1978 & Raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The lax security and regulations of the place and the negligent supervision of the employees and the stock of standards are the reasons why Farak was encouraged to do what she did. Netflix released a new docu-series called "How to Fix a Drug Scandal." Not only was she under the impact of drugs while at work for about nine years, but she was also under the impact when she took the stand in 2013. Sonja Farak was a chemist at a state drug lab in Amherst, Massachusetts, from 2005 to 2013. Her interest soon led to a regular drug habit. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. She was also her classs co-valedictorian. The civil lawsuit was one of the last tied to prosecutors' disputed handling of the case against disgraced ex-chemist Sonja Farak, who was convicted in 2014 of ingesting drug samples she was . 2023 Cable News Network. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. Sonja Farak worked as a chemist for the state of Massachusetts, specializing in identifying illegal substances. As a teenager, she had attempted suicide. Copies of the notice letter, in English, Spanish, and other languages, are posted below. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. As Solotaroff recounts in detail, Massachusetts attorney Luke Ryan represented two people who were accused of drug charges that Farak had analyzed . 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. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. Brad Puffer, spokesman for the attorney generals office, told CNN that the substances under investigation were heroin and cocaine. Here are 10 things everyone completely missed in Netflix's How to Fix a Drug Scandal. I was totally controlled by my addiction," she revealed in the documentary. Kaczmarek argued before the BBO, and in response to Penate's lawsuit, that she was focused on prosecuting Farak and not defendants, like Penate, whose criminal cases were affected by Farak's misconduct. Updated She was sentenced in January 2014 after she pled guilty to four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorized dispensary, four counts of tampering with evidence and two counts of cocaine possession. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. Approximately one year later, she pled guilty to tampering with evidence, unlawful possession, and stealing narcotics. When Ryan found out Farak was high when she conducted those tests, he knew it was time to fight. So she turned to drugs, which were incredibly easy to procure. The new numbers appear in a report issued by a court-designated "Special Master." Since the takeover, the budget for all forensic labs across the state has been increased, by around twenty-five per cent. He recommended she lose her law license for two years; the Office of Bar Counsel later argued Kaczmarek should be disbarred. DISTURBING TRUE STORY BEHIND NETFLIXS HOW TO FIX A DRUG SCANDAL AND HOW ONE PERSONS ADDICTION AFFECTED THOUSANDS, Sonja Farak's addiction saw her abuse her position, Sonja would take samples from her colleague's desks too, Sonja Farak's actions affected thousands of drug convictions, Sonja Farak (right) followed the crimes of chemist Annie Dookhan (left). 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. That settlement awaits approval by a judge. While Farak kept her drug use separated to work only at first, her use still spilled out. Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Where is Sonja now? But what happened next to the former lab chemist? In her June 17 ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson dismissed former Assistant Attorney General Anne Kaczmarek's claims of qualified immunity a doctrine that gives legal immunity to some public officials accused of misconduct. Investigators found that Sonja Farak tested drug samples and testified in court while under the influence of methamphetamines, ketamine, cocaine, LSD and other drugs between 2005 and 2013. The Farak scandal came as the state grappled with another drug lab crisis. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Two drug lab chemists' shocking crimes cripple a state's judicial system and blur the lines of justice for lawyers, officials and thousands of inmates. And surprisingly, its actually her! Learn The Real Facts About What Dinosaur Had 500 Teeth. Sonja Farak, of Northampton, a former chemist at the state crime lab in Amherst, appears in Hampshire Superior Court in Northampton in April 2013 for her arraignment on multiple counts of evidence . This achievement earned her a full page layout in the local paper and some local TV news coverage. Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Farak graduated with awards and distinctions. It features the true story of Sonja Farak, a former state drug lab chemist in Massachusetts who was arrested in 2013 for consuming the drugs she was supposed to test and tampering with the evidence to cover up her tracks. Sonja Farak. Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges. Farak trabaj en el laboratorio Amherst desde el verano de 2004 y poco despus comenz a tomar las drogas del laboratorio. Carr said that Farak is a private person. They were all rendered unacceptable. Sonja had stolen samples from her colleagues' tests and amended the lab database to cover her tracks. Throughout the show, audiences see the gritty side of the law and the uglier side of the war on drugs. Luke Ryan Photo: Netflix "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" documents the riveting details about how a . After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. The Bechdel Test is a test that measures the representation of women in fiction. The number is888-999-2881. "It was Defendant who had the responsibility within the AGO [attorney general's office] to see that the Farak investigation materials were disseminated to the DAOs [district attorneys' offices]," Robertson wrote, adding there is no evidence anyone from the attorney general's office sent the potentially exculpatory evidence to those offices.". A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. She isnt on drugs anymore, and I think that that is incredible, Carr, who also directed the true-crime documentaries I Love You, Now Die and Mommy Dead and Dearest, told Womens Health. 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. She started taking drugs home, and doing them first thing in the morning. A preliminary investigation found that Dookhan may have touched 60,000 samples that were involved in 34,000 drug cases. Hanchett found a leftover beaker with a white residue on it. We allege that this chemist tampered with evidence, placing the integrity of that evidence in question, Coakley said in a statement. If you're on the prowl for . Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal tells the story of two women whose actions brought to light the negligence of the system that is supposed to deliver justice to everyone. . Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into the . Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. A status hearing on Penate's suit, which was filed in 2017, is scheduled for July. Farak, a chemist at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested in 2013. Jon Taffer Net Worth: Who is Jon Taffer? After eight years at the lab, Sonja was finally caught out and arrested for her actions. She graduated with high distinction. Kaczmarek is one of three former prosecutors whose role in the prosecution of Farak later became the focus of several lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Please note that if your case has been identified for dismissal, it could take approximately 2-3 months for the relevant court records to be updated. No shot is filmed on accident. 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. (The Massachusetts 2017 group exoneration involving chemist Annie Dookhan took place at the main lab.) Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1. They wrote that Lee, disabled by a stew of mental ailments, [spent] her hours surfing the Web in a haze.. 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. Where is Sonja Farak now? Authorities also determined that Farak allegedly possessed what appeared to be Class A and B substances, the release said. 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. Inwardly though, Sonja Farak was striving. According to the news release from the attorney generals office, workers at the Amherst laboratory contacted state police on Friday to report a discrepancy in the controlled substance inventory held in evidence. Powered by. The surveillance of the chemists as well as the standards and the confiscated drugs has also been increased considerably. How does Jon Taffer Feb 1, 2023. A federal judge has rejected claims from an embattled former state prosecutor that she is protected from liability in the fallout over a Massachusetts drug lab scandal. Who is Sonja Farak, the former state drug lab chemist featured in the show? While Dookhan spoiled evidence in the favor of the prosecution, Farak smoked it. 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