You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Less than a year later, former drug lab technician Sonja Farak would also be arrested for tampering with the drugs she was tasked with testing. I was like, 'Why are they going to incarcerate me for money?' Who Is Sonja Farak From Netflix's 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal'? | True Because she did so, Plaintiff served more than five years in a state prison.". She graduated with high distinction. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She cried as she was sentenced, Mass Live reported in 2014. After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. While Dookhan had tampered with evidence and indulged in dry-labbing, Farak stole from her workplace. 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. She shone academically as well. Dookhan married Surrendranath Dookhan, a software engineer, in 2004. The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. 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. ", SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Trump Ramps up Attacks on DeSantis: 'Dropping Like a Rock', Russian Strikes on Pavlohrad Aim to Hamper Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Greg Abbott Criticized for Response to Texas Shooting: 'A New Low', Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse, Conservative Influencers Struggle With Countering Biden's Messaging. Episode 2. The Chemists and the Cover-Up - reason.com We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. The actions of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan caused a racket of such a scale that the state had to recompense for it with millions of dollars and had to make a historic move in the dismissal of wrongful convictions. If you're on the prowl for . 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 . While Farak kept her drug use isolated to work only at first, her use still spilled out. Ex-Chemist In Massachusetts Was High On Drugs At Work For 8 Years That is as much public exposure as shes opened herself up to since her release from jail. She has pledged to dismiss Suffolk County drug convictions an estimated 74,800 for anyone whose drug certification was done at the Hinton Lab between May 2003 and August 2012. Heres what you need to know about Sonja Farak: Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. Published Jul 1, 2020. The show also delves into the issues of the state in discovering and reporting on the extent of the cases that were affected by Faraks actions. She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. She first worked at the Hinton State Laboratory in Jamaica Plain for a year as a bacteriologist working on HIV tests before she transferred to the Amherst Lab for drug analysis. While confessed addict Farak was using confiscated drugs as her personal stash Dookhan wasn't even testing her drugs, just pushing all tests through as positive to impress her superiors with her speed and efficiency. Sonja Farak worked at the Amherst crime lab testing the authenticity of controlled substances submitted by state law enforcement agencies. The series chronicles nine years of misconduct at two Massachusetts drug labs. In the series, it's explained that Farak loved the energy the meth gave her. Sonja got a job as a chemist at the Hinton State Laboratory building in Jamaica Plain after getting her college degree. The fees eligible for reimbursement include probation fees, victim witness fees, GPS monitoring costs and driver's license reinstatement fees. Court records showed that Farak was smocking crack and dropping acid on the same day that she tested the drugs in Penates case. For her wrongdoing, Farak served 18 months in prison and was released in 2015. Support GBH. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had suffered from depression for many years. Where is Sonja Farak Now? - The Cinemaholic He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. Is Netflix's 'The Nurse' Based On A True Story? The difference? MGB medical residents want to change long hours, low pay and poor benefits. She's no longer in prison, as Farak has served her sentence. I wasnt abused and yet I still turned out a certain way, still had some problems.. In Netflixs docuseries we get to hear from her sister, and mother, who give us an insight into Sonjas life, and how her actions impacted them. 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. A drug chemist in. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. I want to be accepted like one of them, Sonja said during the local news segment, included in the docuseries. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Farak graduated with awards and distinctions. Carr, who has been public about her past personal battles with alcohol misuse said that it takes both strength and a very specific type of person to hide such intense substance use for so long. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. I, think I make a strong case and advocate that humans are fallible and she needs to be given a second chance, but thats an unpopular opinion, and I can't control how the public reacts to it.. When Sonja graduated high school in 1996, she didnt just receive various varsity letters for sports. Kaczmarek failed to disclose information and intentionally misrepresented the evidence she had, and worked to actively shut down inquiry and deflect zealous work by Farak defendants counsel who were doing their jobs by requesting evidence of Faraks misconduct, according to the report. Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. In 2012, former drug lab chemist Annie Dookhan was arrested for falsifying evidence recovered from alleged drug busts in the state of Massachusetts. There was something so tragic but also surreal about this story.. Sonja Farak exposed - full extent of her drug use and where she is now 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. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with . Penate's lawsuit, which seeks $5.7 million in damages, is believed to be one of the last remaining suits tied to the scandals; the statute of limitations to file such suits has expired. They are the number one team in their division, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. Kaczmarek also oversaw the prosecution for the attorney general's office in that case. Lets find out. The settlement also covers relatives of deceased class members. Despite her status as a free woman (who has seemingly disappeared from the public eye), Farak's wrongdoings continue to make waves in the Massachusetts courts. Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. Despite being a star child of the family, Sonja suffered from the mental illnesses that haunted her even in adulthood. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. Farak struggled with mental health throughout her life, the documentary series explains. On top of that, it was also ensured that no analyst would ever work without supervision. I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. The people who were involved in this will finally get justice, Westcott said. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy. The state is notifying people via letters, posting flyers and the settlement notice is available online. Nonetheless, she remains a private person and asks to be left alone. The Netflix show highlights not only the arrest and trial of Farak, but also the missteps taken by the state to ignore the extent of the cases affected by Faraks actions. I think shes a good person, she said. Anders Behring Breivik. How to Fix a Drug Scandal: Where are the key players now? 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. Cohen and Felson's (Long, 2021) Sonja Farak: 35,000 criminal cases were dismissed because this - MEAWW Each person who has had a case dismissed will receive at least $150. Farak. 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 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. Her parents were described as loving, and somewhat strict. The woman is older now and is perhaps trying to put the incident concerning her daughter, behind her. How To Fix A Drug Scandal True Story: What The Documentary Leaves Out T he day Sonja Farak's world unraveled - the day a crack pipe and sliced evidence bags of cocaine were found at her workstation - started like many others: she attended court. She was struggling to suppress mental health issues, depression in particular, and she tried to kill herself in high school, according to, I could not imagine being high on liquid methamphetamine and hiding it, day in, day out, Carr told, , adding that her initial curiosity surrounding Farak kicked off the making of the docuseries. She cried as she was sentenced, I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan, said in the docuseries. Over time, Farak's drug use turned to cocaine, LSD and, eventually, crack. A pair of scandals at two state . Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. From the start, we have recognized that defendants with vacated convictions should be refunded and are pleased to have engaged in a collaborative effort to reach a fair and efficient resolution for all involved.. How to Fix a Drug Scandal - Wikipedia In 2019, she was seen leaving the Springfield Federal Court but declined to comment on the status of the case. She tried to kill herself in high school, according to Rolling Stone. Report shows more than 24k wrongful convictions dismissed in drug lab Infamous drug lab chemist Sonja Farak faced an agonising new court case after being released from jail for smoking crack on the job. She was released in 2015. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. Tens of thousands of criminal drug cases were dismissed as a result of misconduct by Dookhan and Farak. . Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. Who Is Sonja Farak From Netflix Docu-Series How To Fix A Drug Scandal Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Farak was born in San Diego, California and within a year her family moved to Newport, Rhode Island after her Navy father was transferred to the east coast. Personal life. The district attorneys in Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Hampden and Northwest counties have dismissed charges in about 6,000 cases linked to Farak. Episode 1. Thousands of convictions in thousands cases tainted by former state chemist Sonja Farak were ordered for dismissal today, marking a victory for justice after litigation from the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) who is the plaintiff and institutional petitioner on behalf of all parties impacted, and the law firm Fick & Marx LLP. . She really did, at certain times, tried to stop doing this but couldnt.. I think that this is really painful and difficult that her case is getting re-examined in sort of a public way because, you know, when you put things on a network like Netflix, people are going to talk about it.". In 2008, defendant Ricky Simmons pleaded guilty in the Superior Court to several drug crimes. PDF Applying Routine Activity Theory: A Case Study of the Sonya Farak Drug The latter investigation was the result of a complaint filed by Nina Morrison, senior litigation counsel for the Innocence Project. Eight Years Later, Fallout From The Massachusetts Drug Lab Scandal Email; Facebook Tweet Listen 7:58. Regardless, there's little attention paid to the humanity of the actual chemist . April 1, 2020. Carr chose to have an actress, Shannon O'Neill, recreate Farak's testimony in front of the grand jury with the help of the unsealed court transcripts. Drug lab case prosecutors get their day in court over allegations of People Also Viewed . Netflix's latest true-crime series, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, dives deep into a shocking Massachusetts scandal, one that started in the humble confines of an underfunded drug testing lab and ended with an entire system in question. She said, It was about coping; it certainly wasnt about having fun; I dont think shes had fun in quite a while.. Actress Shannon O'Neill portrays Farak in How to a Fix a Drug Scandal. What Netflix's How To Fix a Drug Scandal didn't tell you - Esquire Thousands Of Cases Tied To Second Disgraced State Chemist Dismissed Sonja Farak | MA Drug Lab Scandals - GitHub Pages With the lab's ample drug supply, she was able to sneak the drug each day from a jug that resided in the shared workspace. "She's somebody that sort of shies away from press. In high school, Farak became the first girl to play high school football in the state of Rhode Island and made local headlines. I think that she was so adept at hiding her addiction for so long, her downfall sort of came as a surprise to her and to everybody.". In January 2017, after years of litigation, this Court established "a new protocol" for cases affected by the egregious misconduct of another former state chemist, Annie Dookhan. Here's Where Sonja Farak Is Now, After 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' Though the four-part documentary series interviews some of Farak's family members, she does not appear in it herself. She has kept a low profile but has been spotted in court for civil cases related to her own case, including in 2018. Instead, the documentary . After years of misconduct, thousands of wrongful convictions are Chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan tampered with evidence and even used narcotics. 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. Hints of problems to come were not apparent as a child, at least not from the outside. After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. While what she did was wrong, many have been sympathetic to her plight. She recalled a hearing where she had to borrow $250 or return to jail. By Arun Rath Matt Baskin. Sonja Farak during her arraignment at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown in 2013. Its almost as if somebody would take the worst part of my life and show it to millions of people.. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. In her response to the lawsuit, Farak wrote: I agree that I began stealing and using the state labs supply of methamphetamine oil, but I do not recall if it was late 2004 or early 2005 so I cannot agree with the year stated.. Extent of Massachusetts lab's forensics failure revealed 3 Farak Defendants. READ NEXT: Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts, Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Sonja Farak - Age, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Luke Ryan: Fixing a Drug Scandal, Just One Cause to Champion Ive been struggling with that, Carr said Its very uncomfortable and I dont know what its been like for her.. Apart from the late Stanley Farak, it appears that Amy and Sonja make up the rest of Lindas family. Former Massachusetts crime lab chemist Sonja Farak, left, during her arraignment in 2013. Massachusetts officials are notifying more than 30,000 people who will share a $14 million dollar settlement for the impact of the states drug lab scandals a decade ago. By some accounts, she is 68 years old. In Sonja Farak drug lab scandal, Mass - The Washington Post "All Defendant had to do to honor the Plaintiffs Brady rights was to turn over copies of documents that were obviously exculpatory as to the Farak defendants or accede to one of the repeated requests from counsel, including Plaintiffs counsel, that they be permitted to inspect the evidence seized from Faraks car," Robertson wrote in her ruling. The lawsuit names Kaczmarek, Farak and three members of the state police. Watch How to Fix a Drug Scandal | Netflix Official Site 2. 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. It is important to point out that Sonja Farak was considered a typical citizen as she did not fit the stereotype of a drug offender . post office box as her contact information. Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. I mean she could have been my client.". Though viewers won't hear from Farak directly due to a pending civil case, the series paints a vivid picture of Farak's drug use through dramatization. Judge dismisses 'qualified immunity' claim in suit against ex - WBUR Linda was born on 19th July 1951. Annie Dookhan and Sonja Faraks crimes undermined the integrity of our justice system and impacted thousands of lives, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said when the settlement was reached in June. I felt euphoric, Kogan wrote of Farak. Farak was arrested in January 2013 for stealing drugs . One thing that How to Fix a Drug Scandal makes clear is that it wasnt all Sonja Faraks fault. But Westcott said she paid a variety of fees, such as $65 monthly probation costs and $500 to get her drivers license, before the SJC dismissed her three possession cases in 2018. Former chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted in 2013 on charges of improperly testing drug evidence at a drug lab in Boston. Criminals. Both were convicted of tampering with the drugs they were testing for evidence in criminal cases, resulting in the state Supreme Judicial Court dismissing tens of thousands of compromised criminal cases. Oxygen.com was not able to reach Farak for comment. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. After their arrests, prosecutors at the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office then tried to sweep their crimes under the rug without addressing how their actions affected the defendants who were convicted based on their drug testing. She started bringing drugs home, and doing them first thing in the morning. In December 2020, he filed a motion for a new trial seeking to withdraw his guilty pleas on the basis that chemist Sonja Farak analyzed the drugs in question while she was employed at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute (Hinton . Linda Farak is currently in her 60s. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! Investigators gave that information to Kaczmarek and the state AG's office,according tohearings before thestate board that disciplines attorneys. Furthermore, she said she has been grappling with how the docuseries may have affected Faraks life. "Not only did I already put my life on hold for the years that I was using, but now I was ready to be a functional member of society and I was blocked from doing that because of these charges," Westcott said. In fact, she was highly accomplished before all her struggles. What is wrong with Sonja Faraks family? : r/HowToFixADrugScandal - Reddit Filmmaker Erin Lee Carrs 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. Sadly, theirs weren't the greatest crimes in this real-life drama. Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Farak admitted in testimony that she began using drugs almost as soon as she started working at the Massachusetts State Crime Lab in Amherst. How to Fix a Drug Scandal: behind a staggering Netflix crime docuseries It appears that Linda has Christianity listed as her religion, and is a Caucasian woman, who's registered as a Democrat. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. As she put it in a piece for Commonwealth Magazine, the Farak case involved a rare one-two punch of official misconduct. She joined Jim Braude to discuss. A judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement in October. 45 Year Olds. The state and attorneys for some of the defendants agreed to a $14 million settlement to reimburse 31,000 defendants for post conviction-related costs, such as probation and parole fees, drug analysis and GPS monitoring. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was . October 6, 2020 All Things Considered. 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.. Join us. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In four one-hour episodes, director Erin Lee Carr explores the case of Sonja Farak, a chemist at the state drug lab in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, on Monday, heard from attorneys representing prosecutors from the attorney general's office over their handling of the 2013 prosecution and arrest of drug. She eventually landed a job at the Amherst crime lab of the Massachusetts State Police, after graduating from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Time to get involved and help public media make an impact. Read More: Where is Sonja Farak Sister Now? Deborah Becker Twitter Host/ReporterDeborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. She married Nikki Lee. Westcott has been in recovery from heroin addiction for nearly nine years. More than 24,000 convictions have been overturned as a result of her case. PDF United States Court of Appeals Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. It focuses on some strong female characters: Annie Dookhan, an employee of a forensics drug lab who falsified thousands of drug tests, Sonja Farak, who was convicted of stealing drugs from the lab where she worked, and .
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