The state chemist, Sonja J. Farak, 35, of 37 Laurel Park, Northampton, was charged on Tuesday with evidence tampering and illegal drug possession at Eastern Hampshire District Court and held on $5,000 cash bail.
01.22.2013 | BELCHERTOWN — Sonja Farak appears in Eastern Hampshire District Court during arraignment on charges she stole drugs and tampered with evidence while working as a chemist in the State Crime Lab in Amherst.
BELCHERTOWN — Court records do not say what the chemist accused of stealing cocaine and heroin at the state drug lab in Amherst actually ended up doing with the contraband – and a good chunk of it is still missing, according to authorities.
The state chemist, Sonja J. Farak, 35, of 37 Laurel Park, Northampton, was charged on Tuesday with evidence tampering and illegal drug possession at Eastern Hampshire District Court and held on $5,000 cash bail.
Court records indicate that in the month of January alone more than 50 grams of cocaine was missing or mishandled. Most of that has not been yet been located. With an approximate street value for cocaine at $100 per gram, the dollar figure would be $5,000.
The drugs Farak allegedly stole were supposed to be used as evidence – and had been collected by police at crime scenes throughout the region.
The crime lab is responsible for the meticulous testing and handling – in packages with labels – of the illegal drugs.
But the criminal complaint filed by the state police and Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office shows 12 grams of cocaine was discovered at Farak’s work station – stuffed into a sandwich bag.
The document also says “28.5 grams of suspected crack cocaine” and an additional 13.6 grams are “missing drugs (that) have yet to be located.”
In addition, on Jan. 17 a chemist/evidence officer at the Amherst lab was “unable to locate two separate cases,” and the next day, with a supervisor, located the packaging – “sliced open” – at Farak’s workstation, the complaint says.
“It appears the defendant removed some controlled substance from the cases and replaced it with counterfeit substance,” the criminal complaint states.
The complaint says Farak tested the two cases – on Jan. 2 and Jan. 8 – and the contents were “confirmed to be cocaine.”
The state police were called in Jan. 18.
That afternoon Farak was at Springfield District Court to testify on behalf of the commonwealth.
Instead, state police interviewed her in the library of the district attorney’s office at the courthouse. Her vehicle was towed to the Northampton barracks.
According to police, their search of Farak’s vehicle revealed cocaine, heroin and “numerous items of packaging used by the drug lab to store analyzed controlled substances – all but one of the heat sealed packages was opened and emptied.”
The complaint also states that “laboratory employees do not transport drug evidence to court.” That is the job of police.
Court records show that Farak’s mother, Linda J. Farak of Portsmouth, R.I., paid the $5,000 bail on Jan. 22.
Neither the family nor Farak’s attorney, Northampton lawyer Elaine Pourinski, would speak as they exited the courtroom following Tuesday’s hearing.
Because of the seriousness of the charges involving evidence tampering, the case is expected to be handed over the Superior Court by Feb. 22, meaning a grand jury would also be sequestered. Â