If you're on the prowl for . How to Fix A Drug Scandal takes a one-woman issue in a crumbling police drug lab and follows the way it blew up an entire legal system. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! on Oct. 31, 2017. I was provided for in every way, Farak testified. So she turned to drugs, which . chemist, Sonja Farak, had been battling drug addiction and had tampered with samples she was assigned to test around the time she tested the samples in Penate's case. . On the surface, their crimes dont seem as injurious and they dont seem to enjoy inflicting pain on others. Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. Directed by Erin Lee Carr, the four-part Netflix docuseries depicts the criminal investigation of two drug analysts - Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan - who manipulated the legal process for self-serving reasons. Netflix released a new docu-series called "How to Fix a Drug Scandal." The drug lab technician was sent to prison for 18 months, but was released in 2015. 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. 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 . Chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan tampered with evidence and even used narcotics. Lets find out. The series chronicles nine years of misconduct at two Massachusetts drug labs. She worked there for a year but soon realized she wouldnt make enough money there in the Boston area to buy a house. Those are things that cause people, including my clients, to make choices that negatively impact themselves and others. Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. More than 24,000 convictions have been overturned as a result of her case. 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 mental health worksheets constituted admissions by the state lab chemist assigned to analyze the samples seized in Plaintiffs case that she was stealing and using lab samples to feed a drug addiction at the time she was testing and certifying the samples in Plaintiffs case, including, in one instance, on the very day that she certified a sample," Robertson's ruling reads. A lead plaintiff in the class action suit, Nicole Westcott, 34, of Belchertown, said she doesn't know exactly how much money she stands to receive if a judge signs off on the settlement later this fall. 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 came daily. Many people watching the show are wondering: where is Sonja Farak now? I felt amazing.. Criminal. Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. 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. In fact, she was highly accomplished before all her struggles. The filmmaker told Oxygen.com that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. The four-part Netflix series goes deep into the story of a man named Rolando Penate, a case Farak had handled at the lab. After her arrest, she received support from her parents, who showed up to her court appearances, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. General drug lab cases information. Faraks mishandling of evidence halted in 2013 when she was approached by a state police trooper after some of her drug samples were discovered missing. You know, no special treatment.. She started bringing drugs home, and doing them first thing in the morning. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. They were all rendered unacceptable. 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. She was released in 2015, as reported by Mass Live. Thank you! 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. Hints of problems to come were not apparent as a child, at least not from the outside. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. She was caught when it was discovered she was high on LSD while testing samples from. ", 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. "She isn't 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. The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. She began working there in 2004 and enjoyed that it was more laid back than the job at Hinton. Linda Farak is currently in her 60s. 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. She tested . "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. He recommended she lose her law license for two years; the Office of Bar Counsel later argued Kaczmarek should be disbarred. But this wasn't the only drug lab scandal that would rock the state's criminal justice system. Farak. Kaczmarek had obtained the evidence at issue while she was prosecuting Farak on state charges of tampering with evidence and drug possession. ( 2020-04-01) How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. 1. Published Jul 1, 2020. After their arrests, prosecutors at the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office then. The process of reimbursing people for the biggest drug lab scandals in the nations history is moving forward. Since Linda does not seem to have any social media profiles, we cannot give you a recent photographic update. Her curiosity soon led to a regular drug habit. Powered by. How to Fix a Drug Scandal premiered on Netflix April 1, and it has told the compelling stories of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan. He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. The latter investigation was the result of a complaint filed by Nina Morrison, senior litigation counsel for the Innocence Project. They wrote that she served 13 months and was paroled sometime in 2015. The average amount for each recipient is estimated at $375. I mean she could have been my client.". that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. 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. 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. The special hearing officer found Kaczmarek "displayed no remorse" and was "not candid" during the disciplinary proceedings. After weeks of hearings, a "special hearing officer" selected by the board recommended potential sanctions against them all. When she got married, it turned out that her wife, too, suffered from her own demons, and their collective anguish made Sonja desperate for a reprieve from this life. Where is Farak today? "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 confided in her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. Though Farak was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to jail in 2014, the findings from the state's investigation into the scope of her misconduct were just released Tuesday. He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. A majority of the report focused on Kaczmarek, who was primarily in charge of the day-to-day handling of the Farak prosecution. It didnt matter whether or not she was the one who did the testing or some other chemist. READ NEXT: Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy.. Those receiving notices had their criminal convictions dismissed because evidence in their cases was tainted by the misconduct of former state chemists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak. 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.". The people who were involved in this will finally get justice, Westcott said. In the aftermath of Farak's arrest, it's been argued that because she was under the influence, all of the cases she tested could be considered to have been wrongfully convicted. Her parents were described as loving, and somewhat strict. This is the story of Farak's drug-induced wrongdoings, and it's the story of the Massachusetts Attorney General's office apparently turning a blind eye on those wrongfully convicted because of Farak's mistakes. First Name Sonja. Easy access to drugs and the lack of supervision at work allowed Farak to maintain and hide her addiction for several years. Its unclear if Farak is still with Lee, as they have both remained out of the public eye since the case. [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 . 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. Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education. 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. In fact, How To Fix a Drug Scandal shows the Faraks at a football game after Sonja serves time for her actions. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, Greenway Food Truck Festival promises diverse flavors in the heart of Boston, New heads of Mass Democrats and Mass GOP spar on abortion, The drag show during North Brookfield's Pride celebration will go on, The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry, Basic Black: Castle of Our Skins celebrates Black artistry through chamber music. In 2018, all of the criminal convictions more than 10,000 that Farak worked on were dismissed. A drug chemist in. 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. 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. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. Sonja Farak is the subject of Netflix's "How To Fix a Drug Scandal. Netflix's latest .css-7qz8rz{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#f7623b;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #feebe7 50%, #feebe7);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-7qz8rz:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}true crime docuseries, How to Fix a Drug Scandal tells the true story surrounding Farak's misbehavior and its consequences. 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. After launching a lengthy investigation, his attorney Luke Ryan discovered that Farak had been using drugs the same day she ran tests on the substances found on him, thanks to paperwork he discovered noting the date of one of Farak's therapy sessions, where she admitted to have been using that day. YouTube An ex-lab chemist Sonja Farak's negligence and misdeeds shocked US when she was arrested in 2013 for stealing and using drugs from the lab where she worked. Kaczmarek also oversaw the prosecution for the attorney general's office in that case. I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. 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.. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education. Linda was born on 19th July 1951. Each person who has had a case dismissed will receive at least $150. (Featured Image Credit: Mass Live). She still resides in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, specifically, in the Portsmouth Park Area. She was arrested on January 19, 2013. 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. According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. Camila Cabello And Shawn Mendes' Full Relationship, Everything To Know About Rihannas 2nd Pregnancy, Stars Who Got Their Start on Reality TV Shows, These Pregnant Celebrities Have Due Dates In 2023, See Blake Shelton's Throwback Pic With Reba, Meghan Trainor Says She 'Can't Walk' After Sex, Five Dead Giveaways Tell Burglars You're Not Home, 40 Things You Can Buy On Amazon For Under $10. In the series, it's explained that Farak loved the energy the meth gave her. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. Who is Sonja Farak? 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. She received an 18-month jail sentence. By Arun Rath Matt Baskin. She would conduct her work high on meth, cocaine, LSD and crack. And yet, due to their actions, they did injure people and they did inflict a lot of pain, not just on a couple of people, but on thousands. Sonja Farak, left, stands during her arraignment at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, Mass. Months before Faraks misconduct came to light in 2013, another lab technician named Annie Dookhan was arrested in 2012 after it became apparent that she wasnt even testing the drug evidence; rather, she just marked results as positive so that she could impress her colleagues with her speed and efficiency. Read More: Best Movies about Drug on Netflix. The settlement also covers relatives of deceased class members. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. Time to get involved and help public media make an impact. 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. The docuseries did note that Farak is still a fan of the Patriots. As a teenager, she had attempted suicide. Farak admitted to being on a list of drugs while working between 2004 and her 2013 arrest. 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. This achievement earned her a full page layout in the local paper and some local TV news coverage. The Netflix docuseries makes it clear that moments were re-created based on text from unsealed court transcripts; however, casual streamers may get confused about the artistic filmmaking choice, or even believe that O'Neill is indeed Farak. Criminal. The scandal led to . Penate alleged Kaczmarek's actions violated his "Brady rights," which require prosecutors to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to defense counsel. MGB medical residents want to change long hours, low pay and poor benefits. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. The Board of Bar Overseers (BBO) is reviewing the actions of three prosecutors in the investigation of the scandal to determine whether any of them deliberately withheld potentially exculpatory evidence. Kaczmarek is one of three former prosecutors whose role in the prosecution of Farak later became the focus of several lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Linda was born on 19th July 1951. Sonja Farak, a chemist with a longterm mental health struggle, is the catalyst of the story, but it doesn't end with her. In four counties alone, Farak personally . 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. She was arrested for tampering with evidence while abusing narcotics at work. 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. Criminals. DA Ryan on Farak Investigation. After years of digging, lawyers found that Farak's illicit use of the drugs she worked with every day had actually become an addiction, and that her drug use had started well before her arresta fact the Massachusetts attorney general's office didn't initially reveal, according to the docuseries. While what she did was wrong, many have been sympathetic to her plight. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. The lawsuit names Kaczmarek, Farak and three members of the state police. She suffered from substance misuse disorder and she was in the worst kind of place to try to combat that, defense attorney Luke Ryan told Oxygen.com. Kaczmarek, along with former assistant attorneys general Kris Foster and John Verner, all face possible sanctions. Powered by. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. 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 is at the center of Netflix's new true crime docuseries, How To Fix a Drug Scandal. There were also fewer technicians, which made it easier for her drug use to go undetected. Criminal. Very little is known about Farak, the former chemist at the states drug lab, since she has kept a very low profile, even more so after her release from prison. She really did, at certain times, tried to stop doing this but couldnt.. The difference? She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. In 2012, former drug lab chemist Annie Dookhan was arrested for falsifying evidence recovered from alleged drug busts in the state of Massachusetts. 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. Sonja Farak in court in 2014.. Sonja Farak worked at the Amherst crime lab testing the authenticity of controlled substances submitted by state law enforcement agencies. Harmony's brother Jamison asks about her often, the parents say. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Farak scandal came as the state grappled with another drug lab crisis. This documentary mini-series follows the stories of these two drug lab . . When she tried it she did so when others in the lab went out to lunch it met her expectations. Damning evidence reveals drug lab chemist Sonja Farak's addictions. Actress Shannon O'Neill portrays Farak in How to a Fix a Drug Scandal. Any uncashed checks will be distributed to Community Legal Aid, Inc., the Transformational Prison Project, and the Tufts Education Reentry Network program after one year. Farak was arrested in January 2013 for stealing drugs . How to Fix a Drug Scandal: With Shannon O'Neill, Karl Kenzler, Paul Solotaroff, Jared Olanoff. Farak struggled with mental health throughout her life, the documentary series explains. Farak was actually using the drugs, too. As a defense attorney, he discusses the importance . You can try, Judge dismisses 'qualified immunity' claim in suit against ex-prosecutor in drug lab scandal, Judge declines mass dismissal of cases from tainted drug lab, New Evidence May Implicate Additional Chemists In Statewide Drug Lab Scandal. Faraks wife had her own mental health problems, and according to Rolling Stone, Farak would have conflict with her wife every night at home. 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. Farak has stayed sober, according to the docuseries. The district attorneys in Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Hampden and Northwest counties have dismissed charges in about 6,000 cases linked to Farak. Cohen and Felson's (Long, 2021) post office box as her contact information. Ive been struggling with that, Carr said Its very uncomfortable and I dont know what its been like for her.. The four-episode documentary series centers around the Massachusetts drug lab crisis that came to light a few years ago. She started skimming small amounts of drugs, but soon, she was falsifying evidence and cooking crack cocaine in the evidence lab. The number is 888-999-2881. While Dookhan had tampered with evidence and indulged in dry-labbing, Farak stole from her workplace. Kaczmarek argued the findings are subject to appeal. 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. Kaczmarek has repeatedly testified she did not act intentionally and that she thought the worksheets had been turned over to the district attorneys who prosecuted the cases involved. After high school, Sonja went on to major in biochemistry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in western Massachusetts. Though the four-part documentary series interviews some of Farak's family members, she does not appear in it herself. Carr said shes been horrified to read angry reactions towards Farak over Twitter.