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3 Farak Defendants. He said he feels she suffered from both a chemical dependency and a psychological dependence to the drugs. Sonja Farak grew up with an interest in sports, and a desire to do well in life. The lawsuit names Kaczmarek, Farak and three members of the state police. After graduating from Portsmouth High School, Farak attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she got a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry in 2000. "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. By some accounts, she is 68 years old. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Episode 2. 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. The last contact information provided by her, in response to Penates allegations, placed her residence in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Farak is amongst one of the 18 defendants battling the lawsuit filed by Rolando Penate. Sonja Farak, left, stands during her arraignment at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, Mass. 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal's Kris Foster Might Still Be in Legal Trouble Sonja Farak exposed - full extent of her drug use and where she is now Time to get involved and help public media make an impact. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. In fact, How To Fix a Drug Scandal shows the Faraks at a football game after Sonja serves time for her actions. She was struggling to suppress mental health issues, depression in particular, and she tried to kill herself in high school, according to Rolling Stone. 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. Where is Sonja Farak Now? - The Cinemaholic The average amount for each recipient is estimated at $375. Here's Where Sonja Farak Is Now, After 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' The Chemists and the Cover-Up - reason.com Where Is Kris Foster From 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' Now? - Women's Health In high school, Farak became the first girl to play high school football in the state of Rhode Island and made local headlines. After serving for 13 months, she was released on parole in 2015. Where is Farak today? Previously to her arrest, Farak lived in Laurel Park, Northampton in Massachusetts. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. Background. At the time of her arrest, she had resided in 37 Laurel Park in Northampton. Ex-Chemist In Massachusetts Was High On Drugs At Work For 8 Years If the judge determines that it is fair, a settlement administrator will send out checks. You know, no special treatment.. She shone academically as well. 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. Support GBH. Heres what you need to know about Sonja Farak: Farak was born on January 13, 1978, in Rhode Island to Stanley and Linda Farak. She was caught when it was discovered she was high on LSD while testing samples from. She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy.. It gave me energy. "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.". 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. 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. She tried to kill herself in high school, according to Rolling Stone. They wrote that she served 13 months and was paroled sometime in 2015. I was provided for in every way, Farak testified. 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. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Before her sentencing, Farak failed a drug test while out on bail, according to Mass Live. The disclosure of potentially exculpatory evidence was particularly important, the report reads. After their arrests, prosecutors at the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office then. The number is 888-999-2881. 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. She is not active on any social media platform and has kept her distance from the press. Farak testified that she started off trying meth in the lab because she was "curious. She admitted that back in college shed research drugs and noted that meth sounded like one she was particularly interested in trying. Unfortunately, Stanley passed away in 2015. A judge will hold a final hearing on the settlement in October. As a defense attorney, he discusses the importance . On the surface, their crimes dont seem as injurious and they dont seem to enjoy inflicting pain on others. However, from the docuseries, it is clear that she remains in touch with her daughters. By some accounts, she is 68 years old. Sonja Farak is the subject of Netflix's "How To Fix a Drug Scandal. The filmmaker told Oxygen.com that she spent a lot of time thinking about Farak and trying to humanize her. Read More: Best Movies about Drug on Netflix. As shown in the docuseries, she testified that her childhood was normal and middle class. 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. During her career as a. 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. She has kept a low profile but has been spotted in court for civil cases related to her own case, including in 2018. Sonja Farak is the former state drug lab chemist featured in Netflix's "How to Fix a Scandal." They wrote that she served 13 months and was paroled sometime in 2015.. Sonja Farak in court in 2014.. She said, It was about coping; it certainly wasnt about having fun; I dont think shes had fun in quite a while.. 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. The staff in the new lab was also doubled, and the number of trainees was also increased. 1 Indeed, this Court's decisions concerning the Hinton drug lab scandal compel that remedy. Furthermore, she said she has been grappling with how the docuseries may have affected Faraks life. Where is Annie Dookhan Now? Chemist From 'How To Fix A Drug - Newsweek Inwardly though, Sonja was struggling. Sonja Farak was released on parole in 2016 and has remained out of the spotlight ever since. She has since been one of 18 defendants facing a lawsuit by Rolando Penate, who claims they. 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. 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. 1. Farak used to take drugs that came in the lab for test of authenticity and used as criminal evidence. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! There were also fewer technicians, which made it easier for her drug use to go undetected. Westcott has been in recovery from heroin addiction for nearly nine years. Jared Fogle. Where is Linda Farak Now? - The Cinemaholic On January 6, 2014, Farak pled guilty to the charges against her. "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. F ormer FBI special agent Peter Strzok's wife discovered his affair with FBI lawyer Lisa Page on his phone in 2017, the Justice Department revealed in its response to . 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. (Courtesy Shawn Musgrave) For the first time ever, the board that disciplines attorneys is recommending a former Massachusetts prosecutor lose her law license for failing to turn over evidence that might have exonerated defendants. 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 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 . A pair of scandals at two state . She was arrested on January 19, 2013. The chemist, Sonja Farak, worked at the Amherst crime drug lab from 2004 to 2013 during which she was high almost every day. Residents are advised to check for a notice in the mail. . Sonja Farak (left) leaving the courthouse with her lawyer. Farak struggled with mental health throughout her life, the documentary series explains. I mean she could have been my client. 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. How to Fix a Drug Scandal: Where are the key players now? She has been under arrest since 2013 under drug abuse charges. Farak as a young woman (Photo: Netflix) Her misconduct led to more than 24,000 drug cases being dismissed. 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 . For her wrongdoing, Farak served 18 months in prison and was released in 2015. The process of reimbursing people for the biggest drug lab scandals in the nations history is moving forward. Sadly, theirs weren't the greatest crimes in this real-life drama. 2. Her mother and sister seem to show no empathy for anyone involved in the cases of Sonja Farak, and only seem to be concerned with how the . Judge, lawyers: State dragging feet on Amherst drug lab scandal While she reached out to her family to let them know that the docuseries was coming out, she hasnt spoken to Farak and doesn't know much about her current life. A scandal erupts, raising questions for the thousands of defendants in her cases. 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 . This documentary mini-series follows the stories of these two drug lab . She grew up in Portsmouth with her sister Amy. 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, Mass Live reported in 2014. "I think that there has been a decent amount of coverage on Sonja regionally, but it was almost as if it was [only] the really intense partsthat she was smoking crack 10 to 12 times a daybut it didn't super go into her background, and her as a person," Carr explains. 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. READ NEXT: Sonja Farak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. According to the notes, Farak thought it gave her energy, helped her to get things done and not procrastinate, feel more positive., Her partner Nikki Lee testified before a grand jury that she herself had tried cocaine, that she had observed Farak using cocaine in 2000, and that she had marijuana in her house when police officers arrived to search the premises as part of their investigation of Farak., In Faraks testimony during a grand jury investigation, she said that she became a recreational drug user during graduate school and used cocaine, marihuana, and ecstasy. She also said she used heroin one time and was nervous and sick and hated every minute of it [and had] no desire to use [it] again., Farak met and settled down with Nikki Lee in her 20s. Powered by. 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. She purchased a home there in 2006. 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. Kaczmarek had obtained the evidence at issue while she was prosecuting Farak on state charges of tampering with evidence and drug possession. With her response, she only listed a Hatfield, Mass. The drug lab technician was sent to prison for 18 months, but was released in 2015. The charges against Penate were dismissed after Farak's conviction. Those are things that cause people, including my clients, to make choices that negatively impact themselves and others. Directed by Erin Lee Carr, How to Fix a Drug Scandal released in April 2020 on Netflix. This not only led to people getting a reprieve from prison but also filing their own lawsuits against the injustice they had to suffer. I was doing really well, Westcott said. 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. The place was closed as soon as Faraks crimes came to light. "If she puts her mind to something, she can do it, Amy told the producers of How to Fix a Drug Scandal.. Drug lab cases information | Mass.gov Its unclear if Farak is still with Lee, as they have both remained out of the public eye since the case. Thank you! YouTube Her curiosity soon led to a regular drug habit. 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. Linda was married to Stanley M Farak, who was in the US Navy. April 1, 2020. Second Massachusetts state chemist accused of tampering | CNN The project has brought up questions Carr is still grappling with. Rolling Stone covered both drug lab scandals in 2018 and uncovered that Farak had suffered from depression for many years. She said early recovery was hard because finding employment and housing was difficult with a criminal record and having to pay court fees. Sonja Farak is at the center of Netflix's new true crime docuseries, How To Fix a Drug Scandal. DA Ryan on Farak Investigation. . 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. A new documentary by Netflix 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal' looks at the . Penate alleged Kaczmarek's actions violated his "Brady rights," which require prosecutors to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to defense counsel. Thats when she found a home working at a lab in the Morrill Science Building on the UMass Amherst campus. She started off doing drugs at work regularly she worked while on meth, liquid amphetamine, LSD, coke and crack. 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. I think it's very painful to be Sonja and I regret having to advocate against her, Ryan said in the docuseries. 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 . The state is notifying people via letters, posting flyers and the settlement notice is available online. Sonja Farak worked at the Amherst crime lab testing the authenticity of controlled substances submitted by state law enforcement agencies. But it turns out that Farak was actually high while running some of those tests. 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. 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. 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.

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