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. JetBlue flight at Boston Logan had a 'close call' with a Learjet a day after 'aborted landing', Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Cybercriminals steal $6.4 million from Pipefitters Local 537 in Dorchester: 'Very unfortunate news', NFL notes: Robert Kraft's involvement fueling excitement for Patriots in big offseason, 'Yo Pesci' receives seven year sentence after flashing firearms on social media, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach. Since most drug chemists spend most of their time testing evidence, it doesn't make sense to showcase a chemist sitting at a bench, doing their work, when most of the exciting parts are actually catching the criminals. Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Arabic, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Chinese, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Haitian, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Portuguese, Notice of Rights to Challenge Conviction:Spanish, Notice of Rights to Challenge Conviction:Haitian Creole, Notice of Rights to Challenge Conviction:Khmer, Notice of Rights to Challenge Conviction:Portuguese, Notice of Rights to Challenge Conviction:Vietnamese, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Spanish, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Arabic, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Chinese, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Haitian Creole, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Khmer, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Portuguese, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Russian, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice:Vietnamese, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants talks about your rights in this informational video, Stacy Foster et al vs. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Settlement, contact the Executive Office of the Trial Court. Carr revealed: "She isn't on drugs anymore, and I think that that is incredible. Not only did she do this in the lab, but also in court whilst testifying in relation to cases. The number is. Thank you for your website feedback! She tested . Where is Sonja Farak now? 2. She worked there for a year but soon understood she wouldnt make sufficient money there in the Boston area to buy a house. During her trial, her defense lawyer Elaine Pourinski said that Farak wasnt taking drugs to party, but instead to control her depression. 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. Sonja Farak worked as a chemist for the state of Massachusetts, specializing in identifying illegal substances. Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. I want to be accepted like one of them, Sonja said during the local news segment, included in the docuseries. But it turns out that Farak was really high while running some of those tests. RELATED:The 10 Best Football Movies Ever Made, According to Rotten Tomatoes. Moreover, more than 24,000 cases ended up being dismissed due to Faraks misconduct. Many people watching the show are wondering: where is Sonja Farak now? According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. There were also fewer technicians, which made it manageable for her drug use to go unnoticed. Since the takeover, the budget for all forensic labs across the state has been increased, by around twenty-five per cent. 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Executive Office of the Trial Court. 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. Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. A second Massachusetts state . However, throughout her time at the lab, Sonja was habitually abusing these substances for personal use and carried out her role whilst high on liquid methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD and even crack. The court will be sending notices to those affected by Ms. Faraks misconduct. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was hospitalized. 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 . This documentary mini-series follows the stories of these two drug lab chemists, one in Boston and one in Amherst, and how their mistakes led to the wrongful convictions of over 30,000 people. Tens of thousands of criminal drug cases were dismissed as a result of misconduct by Dookhan and Farak. 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. Where is Sonja now? (857) 321-8360dmarx@fickmarx.comwfick@fickmarx.com. In December 2011, after police in Springfield, Mass., had arrested Renaldo Penate for allegedly selling heroin, the drugs from that case were tested at a state drug lab by technician Sonja Farak. Sonja Farak from How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Photo: Netflix) By Alex Finnis. investigating Farak for misconduct at the Amherst Drug Lab. After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. [5] The actions of both women, who acted independently, resulted in tens of thousands of drug counts being dismissed, the largest single mass dismissal of criminal cases in U.S. The special hearing officer found Kaczmarek "displayed no remorse" and was "not candid" during the disciplinary proceedings. This documentary mini-series follows the stories of these two drug lab . Updated She was convicted to 18 months behind bars, followed by five years of probation and 500 hours of community services, the same year. 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 had stolen samples from her colleagues' tests and amended the lab database to cover her tracks. 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. Prior to working at the Amherst Drug Lab, Farak had been a chemist at the Hinton Drug Lab from 2003 to 2004. . 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. The show also examines the state problems while defining and . She started doing drugs almost as soon as she took the job at Amherst, but it was after years of negligence on her superiors part that her actions finally came to light. 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CNNs Michael Martinez and Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report. [1] The premise revolves around documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr following the effects of crime drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan and their tampering with evidence and its aftereffects. Sonja Farak in the dock after her arrest for stealing drugs Credit: AP:Associated Press. 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. Farak stole the drugs (mainly meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine) because she was addicted. "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.". She looked into the western area of the state because it was less costly and less hectic. 24 Federal Street, 4th Floor We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Money Heist season 3 recap: How did La Casa de Papel Part 3 end? Dry labbing is the practice of merely visually identifying samples instead of performing the required chemical test, the attorney general said. While Dookhan had tampered with evidence and indulged in dry-labbing, Farak stole from her workplace. All Rights Reserved. The latest true crime series from Netflix follows one of the most notorious scandals to ever hit law enforcement in the US. 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. After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. She later pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced in 2014 to serve 18 months . After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Her medical records included notes from Faraks therapist in Amherst, Anna Kogan. By Gina Tron. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Farak made crack cocaine at the Lab. Farak was charged with tampering with evidence and drug possession on January 22, 2013. Farak is one of two Massachusetts drug lab technicians who were caught tainting evidence that was . Disgraced former state lab chemist Sonja Farak leaves federal court in Springfield. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. 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Netflix's How To Fix a Drug Scandal tells the story of crime drug lab chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan and how their misconduct affected thousands. She received an 18-month jail sentence. 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. In order to cover her tracks, per Rolling Stone and the Netflix doc, Farak would add ersatz powder to some of the drug samples she used. Because of Ms. Dookhan's misconduct, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered the dismissal with prejudice of thousands of drug cases. While Dookhan spoiled evidence in the favor of the prosecution, Farak smoked it. Given the account that Farak was a law-abiding citizen, it is questioned as to how an A majority of the report focused on Kaczmarek, who was primarily in charge of the day-to-day handling of the Farak prosecution. READ NEXT: Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts, 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. 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. After serving just a year of her 18 month sentence, Farak was released from prison in 2015. This not only led to people getting a reprieve from prison but also filing their own lawsuits against the injustice they had to suffer. Specifically speaking, she played on the line on offense and defense. 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 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. Discovery Company. Its unclear if Farak is still with Lee, as they have both remained out of the public eye since the case. Shortly into her role at Amherst, Farak decided to try liquid methamphetamine to ease her personal struggles. From 2004 to 2013, Farak took benefit of the labs lack of supervision and stole the drugs cops had seized. Her parents were depicted as loving, and somewhat strict. "As the gatekeeper to this evidence, she failed to turn over documents, and she adamantly opposed the requests for access. 1. AG Healey has also dedicated her efforts to finding fair resolutions for all involved, including advocating for the dismissal of convictions impacted by (Annie) Dookhan and Faraks crimes, and ensuring certain fines and fees are returned to defendants whose criminal charges have been dismissed.. I was totally controlled by my addiction," she revealed in the documentary. She disclosed to her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. The T-shirtreferencesthe popular television show, Law and Order, but instead of saying Law and Order, it says Flaw and Order, with Mass Exoneration Unitunderneath. Without ever absolving these two women, Carr finds something tragic in . She received the American Institute of Chemists Award in her final year as well as a Crimson and Gray Award from the school a year before, which recognized her dedication, commitment and unselfishness in the enrichment of student life at WPI. A Rolling Stone piece on Farak also indicated that she graduated with high distinction from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. We allege that this chemist tampered with evidence, placing the integrity of that evidence in question, Coakley said in a statement. Reporter. Based on the investigation, authorities allege that Farak tampered with drug evidence at the lab. While not reporting, he enjoys long-distance running. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into . Filmmaker Erin Lee Carr's newest docuseries "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" shines a spotlight on misconduct on several levels but its primary focus is on a Massachusetts former drug lab technician named Sonja Farak. The day Farak was supposed to analyze the sample, she wrote in her diary, tried to resist [using] @ work but ended up failing, per the Washington Post. 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