At the time of her arrest, she had resided in 37 Laurel Park in Northampton. Penate is just one of the thousands of people whose cases were affected by Faraks actions. The medical records stated that she did not have an existing drug problem that was amplified by her access to more substances. The court will be sending notices to those affected by Ms. Faraks misconduct. Commonwealth Magazine - After rare public trial, disciplinary case now in hands of hearing officer THE JANUARY 2013 drug arrest of disgraced Massachusetts state chemist Sonja Farak and its impact on thousands of drug cases was widely reported as it unfolded, and memorialized to devastating effect in Netflix's docu-series How to Fix a Drug Scandal. A Warner Bros. Sonja Farak. [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. Farak graduated with high distinction from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was excited about science, according to Rolling Stone. Sonja Farak is the subject of Netflix's "How To Fix a Drug Scandal." Netflix. The lawsuit names Kaczmarek, Farak and three members of the state police. She started working there in 2004 and appreciated that it was more laid back than the job at Hinton. She was arrested on January 19, 2013. Farak was charged with tampering with evidence and drug possession on January 22, 2013. I actually smoked in the evidence room. How does Jon Taffer Feb 1, 2023. She had been accused of "intentional infliction of emotional distress in addition to the conspiracy to violate [Penate's] civil rights.". 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. Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. A majority of the report focused on Kaczmarek, who was primarily in charge of the day-to-day handling of the Farak prosecution. Episode 2. After high school, Sonja went on to major in biochemistry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in western Massachusetts. 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. She started taking drugs home, and doing them first thing in the morning. Money Heist season 5 on Netflix: Will there be a La Casa de Papel part 5? Where is Sonja Farak now? Given the account that Farak was a law-abiding citizen, it is questioned as to how an READ NEXT: Netflixs How to Fix a Drug Scandal Story: 5 Fast Facts, Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. This documentary mini-series follows the stories of these two drug lab . I mean she could have been my client.. One thing that How to Fix a Drug Scandal makes clear is that it wasnt all Sonja Faraks fault. How to Fix a Drug Scandal is an American true crime documentary miniseries that was released on Netflix on April 1, 2020. Heres what you need to know about Sonja Farak: Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. Carr revealed: "She isn't on drugs anymore, and I think that that is incredible. While its a small fact said in the documentary mini-series, its a mind-bogglingone. As How to Fix a Drug Scandal explores, Farak had long struggled with her mental . Deborah Becker Twitter Host/ReporterDeborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. 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. . Without ever absolving these two women, Carr finds something tragic in . The newest true crime series from Netflix, How to Fix a Drug Scandal, was released on April 1, 2020. The surveillance of the chemists as well as the standards and the confiscated drugs has also been increased considerably. 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. 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 . 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. Sonja Farak was a chemist for a state crime lab in Massachusetts. She Was Born in 1978 & Raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Sonja Farak's stature. Farak, a chemist at the Massachusetts State Crime Laboratory in Amherst, was arrested in 2013. 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. She states "you aren't going to find a Forensic Files or a CSI: Miamithat covers a drug case." In January 2014, Farak, then 35, of Northampton, was given an 18-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to four counts of theft of a controlled substance from an authorized dispensary (the drug . 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. Copyright 2023 by Vizaca. In 2019, the chemist was spotted at federal court in Springfield, MA , attending a civil case. 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. In How to Fix a Drug Scandal, there are some funny moments, surprising details, and shocking facts that are interesting, but hard to catch. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into . Where is Farak today? post office box as her contact information. 100 Main Street, Third Floor 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. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy . Based on the investigation, authorities allege that Farak tampered with drug evidence at the lab. Hanchett found a leftover beaker with a white residue on it. investigating Farak for misconduct at the Amherst Drug Lab. Penate argued the court should follow those findings. 2023 Cable News Network. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. One of the reasons for the decrepit state and standard of the Amherst lab was the lack of funds. (413) 586-4800lryan@strhlaw.com, DanielN. Marx 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. Sonja Farak from How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Photo: Netflix) By Alex Finnis. Filmmaker Erin Lee Carrs recent docu-series How to Fix a Drug Scandal twinkles a spotlight on wrongdoing on several levels but its main focus is on a Massachusetts former drug lab technician named Sonja Farak. Sonja Farak pleaded guilty to stealing samples of drugs from an Amherst drug lab. She cried as she was sentenced. 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 . 2. It wasnt until she started working at a crime lab responsible for testing drugs acquired from arrests that Farak became addicted to drugs. 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. Sonja Farak and two other chemists analyzed drug samples at the lab from late 2004 until its closure on January 18, 2013. Thousands of people who had drug convictions in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, may soon see them vacated due to a "catastrophic failure of management," the county's district attorney Rachael . 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. (Approx.) 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. In fact, Farak was highly achieved before all her battles. "I was smoking in the lab, I was smoking at home. Throughout the show, many interviewees state that this isnt really about a drug problem, its about a problem thats been going on way before drugs came in the picture - mental health. April 2, 2020 12:56 pm. 2. She received an 18-month jail sentence. Faraks wife had her own mental health problems, and according to Rolling Stone, Farak would have conflict with her wife every night at home. More than that, she sinks her teeth into the ones that are chock-full of scandalous details. She received an 18-month jail sentence. 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. In high school, she nearly died by suicide, and in college Farak was hospitalized. Netflix's documentary titled 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks into the . 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. You skipped the table of contents section. While attending college, she met her longtime partner Nikki Lee. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. Luke Ryan Photo: Netflix "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" documents the riveting details about how a . 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. Ryan Photo: Netflix ) by Alex Finnis chemists analyzed drug samples at the Amherst drug.. Senior correspondent and host at WBUR the lab, I was smoking in the lab had in... 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