State chemist was high daily, thousands of drug prosecutions jeopardized

"All told, she estimated that she was smoking crack ten to twelve times a day."

A former Massachusetts drug-lab chemist was high on the job nearly every day for eight years, according to a report from the state's attorney general. The report said that the chemist, Sonja Farak, was under the influence of drugs like crack, meth, '___', and ketamine as she testified in court in drug cases and while examining drug samples in a crime lab between 2004 and 2013.

The report from AG Maura Healey also said the chemist cooked crack coc aine in a crime lab at night while working overtime.

The report said that the woman began taking the lab's so-called "standard" drugs, the ones purchased from drug companies as a control in testing. "Farak began to consume the Amherst Lab's standards on a fairly regular basis beginning in late 2004 or early 2005," according to the report. "The first standard she admitted to using was the methamphetamine standard, which was the largest or most voluminous standard at the Amherst Lab. The methamphetamine standard was a base sample, meaning its form was oil base and it was not cut or diluted with any other substance, essentially making the standard the purest form of a controlled substance."

Link

Wow. No one seemed to notice anything odd with her. Using the standard drugs for personal use. Cooking crack on the job. Drug user dream I suppose.

I wonder how many new trials are going to happen.

edit: Private lab doing work for the state, I think.

a reply to: roadgravel

Kid in a candy store. Bug eyes, hows the testing going?

"jussss Fiiine."

a reply to: roadgravel

Wait. She was smoking crack almost every 2 hours, and was also under the influence of meth, acid, and K for 8 years, (sometimes in court) and....no one suspected *anything* until the end?

All the while, her addiction went unnoticed until the end, when her appearance began to deteriorate

Ya think?

Wow.

a reply to: Liquesence

Make one wonder if the whole place is under the influence. Looks like it's her admission more than facts gathered.

a reply to: roadgravel

This is an absolute hoot. I hope as many as possible get off their ludicrous drug charges. I don't think the state has the right to tell people what substances they can and can't take in their own time.

However this dear decided to enjoy her leisure at work and even as a witness in court - what a huge laugh - institutional hypocrisy at its best. Even cooking on the job - I am still giggling.

I know some have a terrible time due to drugs affecting themselves or their families, but can't help feeling that if the state bowed out and taxed drugs then put the money into rehab for those who wanted it we would all be very much better off and obviously from the above a lot more honest.

No drug tests for the drug lab workers or do they test their own samples?

car wheels...on a gravel road.....Lucinda williams....a reply to: roadgravel

a reply to: roadgravel

This is outrageous.

Someone covered for this individual. No way in the world does someone get blissed out on class A substances every two hours, while attracting no attention for a significant period. Years in a row? Give me a break.

Put it this way: If Sonja Farak was able to get hammered every two hours and have not a soul notice a damn thing for as long as the article states, then she most certainly was not the only addled member of staff at the facility she worked at.

We had a probation officer in our county have her probationees bring in their pain killer scripts and she would count them. She also counted a few for herself everytime. Eventually a probationee caught on and counted the pills beforehand. Got back like 12 less. Called the cops. They came in looked in her desk mounds of pills. She went to jail and is now on probation for 3 years herself.

a reply to: TrueBrit

I would have thought that someone would audit the volume of use of the standards to the number of tests. Sounds like she was putting a sizable dent in the supply.

Great management team, it seems.