Sonja Farak was born in San Diego, California and within a year her family shifted to Newport, Rhode Island after her Navy father was transferred to the east coast. Since then, she has kept a low profile. 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. The charges against Penate were dismissed after Farak's conviction. on Oct. 31, 2017. The filmmaker told Oxygen.com that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. 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 supply came from work itself; she would take drugs and use them and then replace the evidence bags with fake drugs. By Arun Rath Matt Baskin. Furthermore, she said she has been grappling with how the docuseries may have affected Faraks life. Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. Instead, Carr strived to create "the three-dimensional portrait" of Farak and figured out how to put that inside her documentary. I want to be accepted like one of them, Sonja said during the local news segment, included in the docuseries. 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. Asked what she thought Farak would want the public to know now, Carr says, "I think that she cares about [the idea] that addiction doesn't always look the same on everybody, and I think that she really struggled with letting people down. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. post office box as her contact information. ( 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. "As the gatekeeper to this evidence, she failed to turn over documents, and she adamantly opposed the requests for access. If you're on the prowl for . While Farak kept her drug use isolated to work only at first, her use still spilled out. 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. Farak saw Kogan in 2009 and 2010, and her therapist wrote: She obtains the drugs from her job at the state drug lab, by taking portions of samples that have come in to be tested., Kogan also wrote that Farak told her she had taken methamphetamines at another lab in an old job, but she didnt get much from it. Kogan wrote that after moving to western [Massachusetts] for her job at the state drug lab, [Farak] tried it again and really liked it. But it turns out that Farak was actually high while running some of those tests. The four-part documentary series, released this month, focuses on the 2013 arrest - and ensuing court case - of Sonja Farak, a then-35-year-old crime lab chemist accused of tampering with . The four-part Netflix series goes deep into the story of a man named Rolando Penate, a case Farak had handled at the lab. While attending college, she met her longtime partner Nikki Lee. 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. The surveillance of the chemists as well as the standards and the confiscated drugs has also been increased considerably. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. Sonja Farak in court in 2014.. She confided in her therapist that all the drugs she was consuming came from her workplace. 1 Indeed, this Court's decisions concerning the Hinton drug lab scandal compel that remedy. After weeks of hearings, a "special hearing officer" selected by the board recommended potential sanctions against them all. Given the account that Farak was a law-abiding citizen, it is questioned as to how an educated person with a stable job would commit a crime of this magnitude. Hints of problems to come were not apparent as a child, at least not from the outside. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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. their crimes under the rug without addressing how their actions affected the defendants who were convicted based on their drug testing. After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. Towards the end of the docuseries, we see her coming to terms with Sonjas indiscretions. Anders Behring Breivik. Its unclear if she still owns the property and if she lives there now. She played as the starting guard for Portsmouth High Schools freshman team. Residents are advised to check for a notice in the mail. 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. Eight years since disgraced chemist Sonja Farak was arrested for tampering with evidence at a Massachusetts drug lab, the effects of her actions are still unfolding. The number is 888-999-2881. Criminal. Sonja got a job as a chemist at the Hinton State Laboratory building in Jamaica Plain after getting her college degree. 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. The newest true crime series from Netflix, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, was released on April 1, 2020. A judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement in October. Faraks sister Amy Farak said her sister excelled at sports. Powered by. ", "She isn't on drugs anymore, and I think that that is incredible," Carr, who also directed the true-crime documentaries. Each person who has had a case dismissed will receive at least $150. She currently keeps a very low profile and is dealing with a pending civil case, but How To Fix A Drug Scandal director Erin Lee Carr reveals to Women's Health that Farak is sober now. 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. The scandal led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! After high school, Sonja went on to major in biochemistry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in western Massachusetts. 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. Read More: Best Movies about Drug on Netflix. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. Dookhan married Surrendranath Dookhan, a software engineer, in 2004. On the surface, their crimes dont seem as injurious and they dont seem to enjoy inflicting pain on others. Sonja Farak is a former state lab chemist of Masachuttes, America. 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. The four-part investigation explains why the Massachusetts drug analyst fabricated evidence while working at the Hinton State Laboratory in Boston, and how her incompetence affected a subsequent scandal involving fellow chemist Sonja Farak in Amherst. .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}How To Avoid Unexpected Health Bills. Farak was arrested in January 2013 for stealing drugs . Before her sentencing, Farak failed a drug test while. Farak worked for the Amherst Drug Lab in Massachusetts for 9 years when she was convicted of stealing and using them. He went to bat for clients who were affected by both Farak and Dookhans misconduct. Former chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted in 2013 on charges of improperly testing drug evidence at a drug lab in Boston. She was released in 2015. The drug lab technician was sent to prison for 18 months, but was released in 2015. DA Ryan on Farak Investigation. If Farak found a substance was a true drug, the person it was confiscated from could be convicted of a substance-related crime. 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. If the judge determines that it is fair, a settlement administrator will send out checks. The chemist, Sonja Farak, worked at the Amherst crime drug lab from 2004 to 2013 during which she was high almost every day. Background. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. One of the reasons for the decrepit state and standard of the Amherst lab was the lack of funds. She said it gave me the desired effects. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. 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. The average amount for each recipient is estimated at $375. The fees eligible for reimbursement include probation fees, victim witness fees, GPS monitoring costs and driver's license reinstatement fees. 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. But this wasn't the only drug lab scandal that would rock the state's criminal justice system. Former Assistant Attorney Generals Anne Kaczmarek and Kris Foster withheld evidence regarding Sonja Farak's drug abuse and committed fraud in order to minimise the fallout - but unfortunately,. Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 of stealing drugs and tampering with evidence, setting off a second. 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. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was . Sonja Farak is the subject of Netflix's "How To Fix a Drug Scandal. 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. Don Treeger/The Republican via AP, Pool, File. . 3 Farak Defendants. She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. This first-time event, brought to you by GBH in partnership with NPR, PBS and stations across the country, is a celebration of all that #PublicMediaGives people everywhere. You know, no special treatment.. No wonder, she expresses an initial surprise upon learning that Sonja got addicted to drugs while working on her job. 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.. Lets find out. The cocaine, found in an unsealed, completed drug-testing kit, tested negativemeaning Farak had seemingly replaced the formerly "positive" drugs with falsified substances. Two drug lab chemists' shocking crimes cripple a state's judicial system and blur the lines of justice for lawyers, officials and thousands of inmates. Within a year of working at the new lab, Farak began doing drugs. 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 . 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. April 1, 2020. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Her parents were described as loving, and somewhat strict. I find that everyone needs to be given a second chance.". Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. Harmony's brother Jamison asks about her often, the parents say. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. 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. Sonja Farak, a chemist with a longterm mental health struggle, is the catalyst of the story, but it doesn't end with her. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. That is as much public exposure as shes opened herself up to since her release from jail. Sonja Farak, tasked with testing confiscated drugs inMassachusetts, was high on the job for years. More than 24,000 convictions have been overturned as a result of her case. Thank you! Her arrest led to the dismissal of thousands of drug cases in Massachusetts. She was arrested on January 19, 2013. She shone academically as well. As shown in the docuseries, she testified that her childhood was normal and middle class. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Infamous drug lab chemist Sonja Farak faced an agonising new court case after being released from jail for smoking crack on the job. When she's not shopping for a living, she enjoys karaoke and dining out more than she cares to admit. She received an 18-month jail sentence. In conclusion, Linda seems to be where she always was. By some accounts, she is 68 years old. I felt euphoric, Kogan wrote of Farak. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Though lawyers from the attorney general's office attempted to suppress evidence demonstrating Sonja's drug use actually went as far back as nine years, a group of defense attorneys committed to helping people who had been convicted based on Farak's testing results were eventually able to get their hands on evidence that would ultimately help dismiss more than 35,000 convictions. 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. 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. The four-episode documentary series centers around the Massachusetts drug lab crisis that came to light a few years ago. 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. 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.". 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. 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. She began working there in 2004 and enjoyed that it was more laid back than the job at Hinton. Farak. When Sonja graduated high school in 1996, she didnt just receive various varsity letters for sports. The Mirror can reveal she was forced to defend herself in. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Most Popular #259201 First Name Sonja #23 Criminal Born in Massachusetts #11 45 Year Old Criminal #6 Sonja Farak Is A Member Of . 45 Year Olds. In fact, How To Fix a Drug Scandal shows the Faraks at a football game after Sonja serves time for her actions. Kaczmarek is one of three former prosecutors whose role in the prosecution of Farak later became the focus of several lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education. Chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan tampered with evidence and even used narcotics. Kaczmarek, along with former assistant attorneys general Kris Foster and John Verner, all face possible sanctions. Sonja Farak, who worked as a chemist at the Amherst drug lab since 2004, was arrested in January 2013 after one of her co-workers noticed samples were missing from evidence. However, from the docuseries, it is clear that she remains in touch with her daughters. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. The woman is older now and is perhaps trying to put the incident concerning her daughter, behind her. General drug lab cases information. 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. It appears that Linda has Christianity listed as her religion, and is a Caucasian woman, who's registered as a Democrat. Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 to stealing drugs and tampering with evidence, in addition to using crack cocaine and other drugs while analyzing evidence at the lab. As the docuseries shows, she admitted to a therapist in 2009 that she had been struggling with addiction issues since 2005. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. Farak began her drug use by experimenting with liquid methamphetamine, but her addiction quickly grew and she began using other drugs including cocaine, and crack, which she smoked in her drug lab's bathroom, per Rolling Stone. Though the four-part documentary series interviews some of Farak's family members, she does not appear in it herself. I mean she could have been my client.". As a defense attorney, he discusses the importance . Netflix's latest documentary series, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, focuses on the story of Sonja Farak, a former Massachusetts crime lab chemist who was found to be abusing the drugs she was . The staff in the new lab was also doubled, and the number of trainees was also increased. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. 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.. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Farak graduated with awards and distinctions. I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. When she tried it she did so when others in the lab went out to lunch it met her expectations. 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. 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. El Chino ntrax. 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. The settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit seeking to reimburse those who had their cases dismissed. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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 . She cried as she was sentenced, Mass Live reported in 2014. Faraks wife had her own mental health problems, and according to Rolling Stone, Farak would have conflict with her wife every night at home. I can guess that it has been very, very painful for her, she said. Penate argued the court should follow those findings. "If she puts her mind to something, she can do it, Amy told the producers of How to Fix a Drug Scandal.. Kaczmarek argued the findings are subject to appeal. How to Fix a Drug Scandal: With Shannon O'Neill, Karl Kenzler, Paul Solotaroff, Jared Olanoff. Criminals. 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. [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 . Tens of thousands of criminal drug cases were dismissed as a result of misconduct by Dookhan and Farak. 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. 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. Between Farak and Dookhanwho's also featured in How to Fix a Drug Scandal38,000 wrongfully convicted cases have been dismissed, according to the Washington Post. 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 chemist, Sonja Farak, worked at the state drug lab in Amherst, Massachusetts, for more than eight years. According to a Rolling Stone profile on Farak and the case, the former chemist has not been heard from since her release. Follow her @JazzeGomez. "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. There were also fewer technicians, which made it easier for her drug use to go undetected. Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. Sonja Farak is the former state drug lab chemist featured in Netflix's "How to Fix a Scandal." Its no big deal, 14-year-old Farak said to the Panama City News Herald. Sonja Farak grew up with an interest in sports, and a desire to do well in life. November 19, 2019 01:17 PM. The latter investigation was the result of a complaint filed by Nina Morrison, senior litigation counsel for the Innocence Project. In a sweeping decision issued on Thursday, Oct. 11, the Supreme Judicial Court dismissed with prejudice every methamphetamine-related conviction from the nine years that former chemist Sonja Farak worked at the Amherst lab, as well as all cases involving drug tests from that lab from Jan. 1, 2009 through Jan. 18, 2013. Email; Facebook Tweet Listen 7:58. The new four-part Netflix series tracks chemists Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, whose convictions for misconduct led to over 40,000 drug convictions being dismissed by the courts. That settlement awaits approval by a judge. 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. A pair of scandals at two state . . She purchased a home there in 2006. She started working shortly after for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in July 2003 until July 2012, and from July 2012 until January 2013 for the Massachusetts State Police when the lab fell under their jurisdiction. Regarding the cases that she had handled, the Massachusetts courts threw out every case in the Amherst lab during her tenure. She has been under arrest since 2013 under drug abuse charges. Inwardly though, Sonja was struggling. That's when rogue. She was also her class co-valedictorian. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had suffered from depression for many years. They wrote that Lee, disabled by a stew of mental ailments, [spent] her hours surfing the Web in a haze.. During her career as a. I wasnt abused and yet I still turned out a certain way, still had some problems.. 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. In high school, Farak became the first girl to play high school football in the state of Rhode Island and made local headlines. The process of reimbursing people for the biggest drug lab scandals in the nations history is moving forward. In the series, it's explained that Farak loved the energy the meth gave her. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. Farak has stayed sober, according to the docuseries. Easy access to drugs and the lack of supervision at work allowed Farak to maintain and hide her addiction for several years. The state is notifying people via letters, posting flyers and the settlement notice is available online. Cohen and Felson's (Long, 2021) October 6, 2020 All Things Considered. ", 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. Part of that process included having a conversation with Farak, though Carr couldn't capture it on camera. 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. "Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak's crimes undermined the integrity of our justice system and impacted thousands of lives," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said when the settlement was. Am I somebody who took her personhood? We have got you covered in that regard. The docuseries did note that Farak is still a fan of the Patriots. Where is Farak today? As a teenager, she had attempted suicide. Why did she do that and where has it left her? Personal life. "No reasonablejury could conclude that this evidence is not favorable.". She was arrested for tampering with evidence while abusing narcotics at work. Obviously, after a blunder of such scale, no one would want their samples checked from the same lab. Soon after, the state police took over the control, and the lab was moved to Springfield, where it remains under the supervision of the state police.