By Gina Tron. I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. 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. 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. [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. 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. 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Faraks findings, and occasional testimony at court about her testing, was used as proof to convict the person who had been arrested. She has since been one of 18 defendants facing a lawsuit by Rolando Penate, who claims they committed "intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penates] civil rights.. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had undergone from depression for many years. Farak was charged with tampering with evidence and drug possession on January 22, 2013. 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. Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. 2023 Cable News Network. Its a quick two-shot sequence, but it provides punny humor for those that caught the joke. YouTube I was totally controlled by my addiction," she revealed in the documentary. Another chemist was accused of tampering, affecting 34,000 drug cases, in October. Powered by. investigating Farak for misconduct at the Amherst Drug Lab. In How To Fix A Drug Scandal, we learn about Sonja Farak, who was arrested in 2013 on counts of evidence tampering. In Massachusetts it doesn't even end there. Did you encounter any technical issues? In one instance, it appeared that Farak had removed a substance from a case that had previously tested positive for cocaine and replaced it with a counterfeit substance that no longer tested positive, the release said. RELATED:Top 10 Documentaries On Netflix Right Now (According To IMDb). Kaczmarek argued the findings are subject to appeal. She had also kept a detailed daily record of her substance abuse for a drug counsellor, which noted that she used. Approximately one year later, she pled guilty to tampering with evidence, unlawful possession, and stealing narcotics. Farak, a chemist at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested in 2013. Investigators gave that information to Kaczmarek and the state AG's office,according tohearings before thestate board that disciplines attorneys. After high school, Sonja went on to major in biochemistry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in western Massachusetts. Not only did she do this in the lab, but also in court whilst testifying in relation to cases. 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 . After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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Her ar-rest led to the dismissal of thousands of drug cases in Massachusetts. 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. Fick & Marx LLP Ive been struggling with that, Carr said Its very uncomfortable and I dont know what its been like for her.. The case notoriously involved a rare one . The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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. Three prosecutors connected with the Amherst drug lab scandal failed to disclose evidence and engaged in misconduct, including one prosecutor who actively misled others, a scathing report states. You can check your records electronically by following this link:https://icori.chs.state.ma.us. Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. 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. She graduated with high distinction. I actually smoked in the evidence room. (857) 321-8360dmarx@fickmarx.comwfick@fickmarx.com. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. For How to Fix a Drug Scandal, the story is about two women who start the scandals. After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Fue arrestada el 19 de enero de 2013. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. 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. In fact, Farak was highly achieved before all her battles. Carr revealed: "She isn't on drugs anymore, and I think that that is incredible. How to Fix A Drug Scandal is Netflix's latest intriguing documentary series, and these are 10 details everyone missed. The charges against Penate were dismissed after Farak's conviction. She started working there in 2004 and appreciated that it was more laid back than the job at Hinton. Former chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted in 2013 on charges of improperly testing drug evidence at a drug lab in Boston. 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. 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. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education. A preliminary investigation found that Dookhan may have touched 60,000 samples that were involved in 34,000 drug cases. Specifically speaking, she played on the line on offense and defense. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? She was caught with evidence files under her desk, including unsealed envelopes . The dilemma went beyond Farak, which How to Fix a Drug Scandal deeply explores. 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. During her trial, her defense lawyer Elaine Pourinski said that Farak wasnt taking drugs to party, but instead to control her depression. 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. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Farak graduated with awards and distinctions. The newest true-crime docu-series on Netflix that requires to be on your to-watch list is How to Fix a Drug Scandal, a shocking glance into how two drug lab chemists deliberately changed the proof over the course of many years and affected tens of thousands of court cases. Money Heist season 5 on Netflix: Will there be a La Casa de Papel part 5? She had been accused of "intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penate's] civil rights.". 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. General drug lab cases information. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. In 2019, she was seen attending a civil court case relating to her, but she's otherwise kept a . As per her own court testimony, as revealed in the docu-series, Farak began working at a state drug lab in Amherst in 2004. 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. 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