She disclosed to her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. How to Fix a Drug Scandal: With Shannon O'Neill, Karl Kenzler, Paul Solotaroff, Scott Allen. Furthermore, she said she has been grasping with how the docuseries may have affected Faraks life. 100 Main Street, Third Floor A former state chemist, Sonja Farak, made headlines in 2013 when she was arrested for stealing and using drugs from a laboratory. As extensively detailed in How to Fix a Drug Scandal, Farak was arrested on January 19, 2013. Its no big deal, 14-year-old Farak said to the Panama City News Herald. Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. Shortly into her role at Amherst, Farak decided to try liquid methamphetamine to ease her personal struggles. Her job was to define whether a substance someone was caught carrying was really cocaine, meth, or something else. Jon Taffer Net Worth: Who is Jon Taffer? When Farak was arrested,former Attorney General Martha Coakley told the public investigators believed Farak tampered with drugs at the lab for only a few months. [2][3], Dookhan was accused of forging reports and tampering with samples to produce desired results. Obsessed with Netflix? How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. But it turns out that Farak was really high while running some of those tests. Penate is just one of the thousands of people whose cases were affected by Faraks actions. 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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. CNNs Michael Martinez and Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report. El 6 de enero de 2014, Farak se declar culpable de los cargos en su contra. While this series isn't fiction, it would've passed this infamous test if it was. Published Jul 1, 2020. 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. The number is 888-999-2881. 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 can find copies of the Dookhan Notice Letterbelow. 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. She said it gave me the desired effects. Every single day, Farak would get high; the chemist used the bathroom to smoke crack and the lab facilities to cook more. I think its very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. Sonja Farak, one of the drug chemists putin the spotlight in the documentary, first made headlines when she was the first girl in Rhode Island to play high school football in a public school system! A second Massachusetts state chemist in just a few months has been accused of mishandling drug evidence, the attorney generals office said Sunday. In episode 3 of How to Fix a Drug Scandal, theres a shot of a mat with text that says Hi, Im Mat. In the next shot, it shows the educational diplomas of Matt Segal, Legal Director for ACLU of Massachusetts. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The filmmaker told that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. RELATED:Top 10 Documentaries On Netflix Right Now (According To IMDb). According to her teammates, She was the best center in the league last year, and they [felt] stronger with her in there than with some guys.. She worked there for a year but soon understood she wouldnt make sufficient money there in the Boston area to buy a house. After serving just a year of her 18 month sentence, Farak was released from prison in 2015. RELATED:Wicked Good: 10 Great Movies Set In Boston. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Farak was addicted to the drugs she was testing and was accused of smoking crack "10 to 12 times a day, including during work" at a lab in Amherst, according to a state probe. Her role was to test for the presence of illegal substances, which could be instrumental in thousands of drug related legal cases. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. 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. After searching her work station, they found a vial of oxycodone and 11.7 grams of cocaine, along with kits to use crack. And surprisingly, its actually her! It gave me energy. Disgraced former state lab chemist Sonja Farak leaves federal court in Springfield. Please let us know how we can improve this page. A preliminary investigation found that Dookhan may have touched 60,000 samples that were involved in 34,000 drug cases. 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. Ive been struggling with that, Carr said Its very uncomfortable and I dont know what its been like for her.. After she was caught, Farak pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced to prison time of 18 months. Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. The crime laboratory in Amherst stores and analyzes alleged controlled substances seized by local and state police. She states "you aren't going to find a Forensic Files or a CSI: Miamithat covers a drug 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. It shows the true story of Sonja Farak, a former Massachusetts state drug laboratory chemist who was arrested in 2013 for using the drugs she was supposed to be researching and tampering with the evidence to cover her tracks up. That is as much public exposure as shes opened herself up to since her release from jail. All Rights Reserved. Prev Next - Advertisement - Latest Stories . After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. My findings, conclusions and credibility determinations above and below reflect that Kaczmarek not only failed to do this; she actively misled others in the AGO as to what had been produced to the DAOs.. 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. 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). "No reasonablejury could conclude that this evidence is not favorable.". You can check your records electronically by following this link: Please do not include personal or contact information. "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.". | Powered by Artimization. Carr said that Farak is a private person. In fact, Farak was highly achieved before all her battles. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into . Hanchett found a leftover beaker with a white residue on it. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The hammer came down, so to speak, when it was discovered Farak had been high when testing drug samples from Renaldo Penates case. Farak has stayed sober, according to the docuseries. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was hospitalized. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Inwardly though, Sonja Farak was striving. In 2019, the chemist was spotted at federal court in Springfield, MA , attending a civil case. (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx It wasnt until she started working at a crime lab responsible for testing drugs acquired from arrests that Farak became addicted to drugs. In fact, she was the first girl in the state of Rhode Island to play high school football in a public school system. The series chronicles nine years of misconduct at two Massachusetts drug labs. Where is Sonja now? When testing Penates sample a second time, Farak had taken LSD and the sensation of colors in the wind left her unable to function for work. Still, when Penates lawyers inquired about Faraks drug usage, the Massachusetts state prosecutors refused to give up information. 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 . Copyright 2023 by Vizaca. The lab resided on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, operating as a satellite facility of the main state Department of Public Health lab in Boston. Episode 1. Netflix released a new docu-series called "How to Fix a Drug Scandal." First and foremost, this show is about the utter importance of mental health. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. She received an 18-month jail sentence. The depths of her thefts and addiction are explored over the course of the series. Kaczmarek is one of three former prosecutors whose role in the prosecution of Farak later became the focus of several lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. [7], How to Fix a Drug Scandal was released on April 1, 2020, on Netflix.[2]. Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges. The special hearing officer found Kaczmarek "displayed no remorse" and was "not candid" during the disciplinary proceedings. The staff in the new lab was also doubled, and the number of trainees was also increased. 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Throughout the show, audiences see the gritty side of the law and the uglier side of the war on drugs. 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. 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. Because she did so, Plaintiff served more than five years in a state prison.". Prior to working at the Amherst Drug Lab, Farak had been a chemist at the Hinton Drug Lab from 2003 to 2004. . Kaczmarek, along with former assistant attorneys general Kris Foster and John Verner, all face possible sanctions. While what she did was immoral, many have been sympathetic to her plight. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. This achievement earned her a full page layout in the local paper and some local TV news coverage. The number is. She remained a football fan, and loved the Patriots. As How to Fix a Drug Scandal explores, Farak had long struggled with her mental . Well, before the credits rolled, the documentary revealed Sonja Farak is reportedly still sober. An investigation was immediately launched. Sonja Farak is at the center of Netflix's new true crime docuseries, How To Fix a Drug Scandal. Netflix's most original true-crime film: "How to Fix a Drug Crisis," [3] was released on April 1st, 2020. 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. All Rights Reserved. After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Farak, a chemist at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested in 2013. Not only did she do this in the lab, but also in court whilst testifying in relation to cases. Ove. Episode 2. I was totally controlled by my addiction," she revealed in the documentary. (The Massachusetts 2017 group exoneration involving chemist Annie Dookhan took place at the main lab.) In "How to Fix a Drug Scandal," a new four-part Netflix docuseries, documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr presents the stories of Massachusetts drug lab chemists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak, and . That settlement awaits approval by a judge. Powered by. 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. She was given an 18-month sentence, along with five years of probation. 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. Why did she do that and where has it left her? She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy. While Dookhan spoiled evidence in the favor of the prosecution, Farak smoked it. Since Farak makes one half of the scandal, heres what you need to know about what she did and where she is now. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? Its almost as if somebody would take the worst part of my life and show it to millions of people., The project has brought up issues Carr is still dealing with. I want to be accepted like one of them, Sonja said during the local news segment, included in the docuseries. A different film might have demonized Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, showing how their unconscionable behavior sent potentially innocent people to jail, destroying countless lives in the process. 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. At the time of her arrest, she had resided in 37 Laurel Park in Northampton. On top of that, it was also ensured that no analyst would ever work without supervision. She was arrested on January 19, 2013. Farak stole the drugs (mainly meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine) because she was addicted. 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. (Approx.) Her interest soon led to a regular drug habit. A Board of Bar Overseers special hearing officer recently issued these findings in a 98-page decision about former assistant attorneys general Anne Kaczmarek, John Verner and Kris Foster. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had undergone from depression for many years. Sonja Farak Photo: Netflix. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Massachusetts chemist accused of tampering with evidence, drug possession, Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges, Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. Northampton, MA 01060 The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. While Dookhan had tampered with evidence and indulged in dry-labbing, Farak stole from her workplace. Farak worked at the Amherst Lab since the summer of 2004 and she started taking the labs drugs soon after. In the last couple of minutes of the mini-series, there seems to be a reunion at a local Boston restaurant, where many of the key players in the series appear. Tens of thousands of criminal drug cases were dismissed as a result of misconduct by Dookhan and Farak. After Faraks arrest in 2013, police found pages of mental health worksheets in her car indicating she'd struggled with drug addiction since at least 2011. 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. I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. Where is Farak today? With her response, she only listed a Hatfield, Mass. 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