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 . (857) 321-8360dmarx@fickmarx.comwfick@fickmarx.com. Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. (Approx.) 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. Dookhan and Farak Case Hotline: 888-999-2881. In 2019, she was seen attending a civil court case relating to her, but she's otherwise kept a . Farak testified that she started off trying meth in the lab because she was curious. She confessed that back in college shed research drugs and noted that meth sounded like one she was especially interested in trying. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. The latest true crime offering from Netflix is the documentary series How to Fix a Drug Scandal. It dives into the story of Sonja Farak, a chemist who worked for a Massachusetts state drug lab and got arrested for taking the drugs she was testing as well as tampering with evidence. Faraks wife had her own mental health problems, and according to Rolling Stone, Farak would have conflict with her wife every night at home. In high school, Farak became the first girl to play high school football in the state of Rhode Island and made local headlines. In How To Fix A Drug Scandal, we learn about Sonja Farak, who was arrested in 2013 on counts of evidence tampering. Her role was to test for the presence of illegal substances, which could be instrumental in thousands of drug related legal cases. Defense attorney Luke Ryan's clients Rolando Penate and Rafael Rodriguez were convicted based upon Sonja Farak's drug lab testing. Her medical records included notes from Faraks therapist in Amherst, Anna Kogan. 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. This not only led to people getting a reprieve from prison but also filing their own lawsuits against the injustice they had to suffer. 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. Penate's suit said Kaczmarek withheld evidence that Farak used drugs at the lab for longer than the Massachusetts attorney general's office first claimed, and that he would not have been imprisoned based on tainted evidence. According to an Attorney General Offices report, Farak attended Temple University in Philadelphia for graduate school, which is where she became a recreational drug user. Read More: Where is Sonja Farak Sister Now? The scandal led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. Farak also used her position in the lab to manufacture her own drugs for personal use. Release year: 2020. [7], How to Fix a Drug Scandal was released on April 1, 2020, on Netflix.[2]. Obviously, after a blunder of such scale, no one would want their samples checked from the same lab. Two Massachusetts drug-testing laboratory technicians are caught tampering with and falsifying drug evidence, and prosecutors are reluctant to disclose the full extent of their criminal behavior. In 2019, the chemist was spotted at federal court in Springfield, MA , attending a civil case. Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. There were also fewer technicians, which made it manageable for her drug use to go unnoticed. She married Lee after starting her job, but their marriage was rocky. He confronted Farak, she denied knowing anything about it, and he, in the face of that denial, . They were all rendered unacceptable. She was convicted to 18 months behind bars, followed by five years of probation and 500 hours of community services, the same year. I think its very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Spanish, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Khmer, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Russian, Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice: Vietnamese, 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. After serving just a year of her 18 month sentence, Farak was released from prison in 2015. For How to Fix a Drug Scandal, the story is about two women who start the scandals. 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. In 2019, she was seen leaving the Springfield Federal Court but declined to comment on the status of the case. 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 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. In one, drug lab technician Sonja Farak was caught tampering with evidence so she could steal hard drugs for personal use. Sonja Farak, 35, who worked at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested at her Northampton home Saturday night by Massachusetts State Police and is facing two counts of tampering with evidence, one count of possession of a Class A substance, and one count of possession of a Class B Substance, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley. Between Farak and Annie Dookhan, over 47,000 drug convictions were overturned, sending them to retrials. . She was ultimately sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2014. 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. A former state chemist, Sonja Farak, made headlines in 2013 when she was arrested for stealing and using drugs from a laboratory. Sonja Farak from How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Photo: Netflix) By Alex Finnis. Her ar-rest led to the dismissal of thousands of drug cases in Massachusetts. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. RELATED:Top 10 Documentaries On Netflix Right Now (According To IMDb). She disclosed to her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. 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. At the time of her arrest, she had resided in 37 Laurel Park in Northampton. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. But what happened next to the former lab chemist? 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. Many people watching the show are wondering: where is Sonja Farak now? If you need assistance, please contact the Executive Office of the Trial Court. Powered by. Its no big deal, 14-year-old Farak said to the Panama City News Herald. 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. Farak, a chemist, was later convicted of stealing drugs from the state lab in Amherst. On top of that, it was also ensured that no analyst would ever work without supervision. April 2, 2020 12:56 pm. Farak stole the drugs (mainly meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine) because she was addicted. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. Sasson, Turnbull, Ryan & Hoose You skipped the table of contents section. Where is Farak today? In the documentary, Heather Harris, a forensic chemist, states that drug chemists don't make for compelling television. She continued to experience suicidal thoughts, but instead of going through with those thoughts, she started taking the drugs that she would be testing at work. CNNs Michael Martinez and Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report. Sonja Farak is the former state drug lab chemist featured in Netflix's "How to Fix a Scandal." One of the reasons for the decrepit state and standard of the Amherst lab was the lack of funds. Sonja had been smoking crack on her lunch break and was asked to take a drug test, which tested positive. 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. Yet, the cases of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhanbecame "one of the largest mass dismissals of criminal convictions in United States history." While its a small fact said in the documentary mini-series, its a mind-bogglingone. 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. The docuseries did note that Farak is still a fan of the Patriots. Sonja Farak. After contemplating another suicide, she settled on drugs, and the fact that she had such easy access to it at her workplace made it easier for her to get lost in that world. She looked into the western area of the state because it was less costly and less hectic. A final decision is still pending and must be approved by the state Supreme Judicial Court. According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. . Instead, all such relief must now be sought through the pending class action lawsuit, Stacey Foster v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, et al, provided that the claimant meetsthe criteria to qualify as a member of the class. She really did, at certain times, tried to stop doing this but couldnt.. A new documentary by Netflix 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks at the . 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. Who is Sonja Farak, the former state drug lab chemist featured in the show? 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. She later pleaded guilty to stealing drugs from the lab and was sentenced in 2014 to serve 18 months . 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. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. Although she establish a passion for science, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and landed a job at the Amherst state drug lab, Farak still felt alien and unseen, a ghost floating through her own life, per Rolling Stone. Here are 10 things everyone completely missed in Netflix's How to Fix a Drug Scandal. She tested . 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 . Kaczmarek argued the findings are subject to appeal. Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. As the docuseries represents, she confessed to a therapist in 2009 that she had been striving with addiction problems since 2005. 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. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much On its face, the allegations against this chemist do not implicate the reliability of testing done or fairness to defendants.. Since then, she has kept a low profile. Sonja Farak's net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million in 2020. NORTHAMPTON Sonja J. Farak told a nurse at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee in December 2013 that she used methamphetamines and other stimulants "whenever she could get her hands on them." And since her job as a chemist was to test drug samples at a state drug lab in Amherst, that opportunity . In December 2011, Springfield, Massachusetts police arrested Rolando Penate for allegedly selling heroin, and the drugs were sent off to be tested by then-35-year-old drug lab chemist Sonja Farak . All Rights Reserved. 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. Damning evidence reveals drug lab chemist Sonja Farak's addictions. Episode 2. For information on how to obtain relief through the class action lawsuit, please contact the attorneys representing the class, as provided below: LukeRyan 2. A second Massachusetts state chemist in just a few months has been accused of mishandling drug evidence, the attorney generals office said Sunday. The Bechdel Test is a test that measures the representation of women in fiction. She had suffered from mental health issues throughout her life and, according to Rolling Stone, had tried to kill herself in High School. Approximately one year later, she pled guilty to tampering with evidence, unlawful possession, and stealing narcotics. She started off doing drugs at work regularly she worked while on meth, liquid amphetamine, LSD, coke and crack. While what she did was immoral, many have been sympathetic to her plight. 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. The Farak scandal came as the state grappled with another drug lab crisis. It didnt matter whether or not she was the one who did the testing or some other chemist. Because of Ms. Dookhan's misconduct, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered the dismissal with prejudice of thousands of drug cases. The show also examines the state problems while defining and . Since Farak makes one half of the scandal, heres what you need to know about what she did and where she is now. After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. She states "you aren't going to find a Forensic Files or a CSI: Miamithat covers a drug case." 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. Farak made crack cocaine at the Lab. Northampton, MA 01060 The number is888-999-2881. Well, before the credits rolled, the documentary revealed Sonja Farak is reportedly still sober. Hints of difficulties to come were not obvious as a child, at least not from the outside. Something went wrong, please try again later. YouTube A preliminary investigation found that Dookhan may have touched 60,000 samples that were involved in 34,000 drug cases. In Massachusetts it doesn't even end there. The Amherst Bulletin reported that her medical records indicated that she only became addicted to drugs once she started working at the lab, in 2004. Her role was to test for the presence of illegal substances, which could be instrumental in thousands of . 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. It gave me energy. 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. This is whenMatt Segal reveals a T-shirt to commemorate their time on this case. Faraks therapist, Anna Kogan, wrote in her notes that Farak was worried about Nikki finding out about her addiction as well as the possible legal issues if she were ever caught. 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.. The number is 888-999-2881. Please limit your input to 500 characters. As a teenager, she had attempted suicide. The pair's actions saw around 44,000 drug convictions overturned and resulted in prison sentences for the pair. By Gina Tron. 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. You can check your records electronically by following this link: Please do not include personal or contact information. The crime laboratory in Amherst stores and analyzes alleged controlled substances seized by local and state police. The staff in the new lab was also doubled, and the number of trainees was also increased. As extensively detailed in How to Fix a Drug Scandal, Farak was arrested on January 19, 2013. She had also kept a detailed daily record of her substance abuse for a drug counsellor, which noted that she used. Discovery Company. (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx "As the gatekeeper to this evidence, she failed to turn over documents, and she adamantly opposed the requests for access. Where is Sonja now? Sonja Farak took heroin, cocaine from evidence inventory, attorney general alleges. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. 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. Carr said that Farak is a private person. 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. Over 40,000 drug convictions were excluded due to Annie Dookhan and Sonja Faraks criminal misconduct (both were sentenced for their crimes). Thats when she found a home working at a lab in the Morrill Science Building on the UMass Amherst campus. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sonja Farak is the subject of Netflix's "How To Fix a Drug Scandal." Netflix. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. This mini docuseries was produced by Jigsaw Productions, the very same production company that workedon the memorable documentariesCitizen K, American Jihad, and Water and Power: A California Heist. 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. Episode 1. Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into . In the documentary, an actress plays Sonja Farak for B-roll scenes, and that actress is Shannon ONeill. After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. Mucha gente que vio el programa se pregunta: dnde est Sonja Farak ahora? Sonja Farak worked as a chemist for the state of Massachusetts, specializing in identifying illegal substances. No shot is filmed on accident. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. Reporter. 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. One thing that How to Fix a Drug Scandal makes clear is that it wasnt all Sonja Faraks fault. Farak was charged with tampering with evidence and drug possession on January 22, 2013. 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. And surprisingly, its actually her! Farak remained in jail Sunday, the attorney generals office said. In a news conference Sunday regarding Faraks arrest, Coakley noted that unlike our allegations against Annie Dookhan, this did not involve dry labbing or falsification of tests. Hanchett found a leftover beaker with a white residue on it. Powered by. She had been accused of intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penates] civil rights.. 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