Over 6,000 charges will be dropped due to Sonja Farak's illicit actions. December 1, 2017 For the second time in recent memory, Massachusetts has announced thousands of drug convictions will be dismissed following official malfeasance in the state's labs. According to the Boston Globe, the state district attorney's office said on Thursday that more...

Enter Headline here Enter Article DATE HERE WOBURN – A former Framingham Police officer tearfully apologized after pleading guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $19,000 from the police department's evidence room more than two years ago. Alan Dubeshter, 56, pleaded with Middlesex Superior Court Judge Jack Lu not to send him to jail. "I made a t...

Sgt. also implicated in the evidence locker controversy, is the subject of another separate hearing. Enter Article DATE HERE DRACUT -- Deputy Police Chief David Chartrand, suspended last year for two weeks for his handling of documents in a lieutenant's personnel file, is the subject of an upcoming disciplinary hearing centered on the administ...

Allegedly stole about $2,000 from the file of a closed bank robbery case in January while assigned to the Evidence Management Unit Enter Article DATE HERE A Boston police officer was indicted on charges of stealing money from the department's evidence room and attempting to launder it at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Massachusetts. Jos...

Montague Police Chief Charles Dodge III, a recovering oxycodone addict Enter Article DATE HERE Montague Police Chief Charles Dodge III, a recovering oxycodone addict, was the subject of an Attorney General investigation into mishandling of the department's prescription drug drop off program last year, according to an investigation by the Green...

Nee is accused of stealing approximately $2,000 from the evidence related to a closed bank robbery case in January, the AG's Office said. October 12, 2017 BOSTON — Boston police Officer Joseph Nee is accused of stealing money from the department's evidence room and trying to launder it at Plainridge Park Casino. Nee, 44, was indicted Thursday by a ...

"It is clear from the audit, that the appropriate steps contained within the training material were never implemented or followed." October 6, 2017 DRACUT -- Although the Middlesex District Attorney's Office has found no indication that the integrity of any evidence within the Dracut Police Department has been compromised, former interim Chief Neil...

In the first case, after five years, the Massachusetts supreme court eventually forced state prosecutors to compile a list of affected defendants and ultimately dismiss 98.5 percent of the cases involved, with more than 21,000 drug convictions erased.Enter Headline here October 4, 2017 Twice in recent years, chemists used by the state of Massachuse...

The town council approved a three-year contract with its police unions that includes a provision for random drug testing. September 22, 2017 BRAINTREE – New contracts with town police unions call for officers to undergo random drug testing. The contracts, with the Braintree Police Superior Officers Association and the Braintree Police Officers Asso...

The former supervisor of the police department's evidence room remains on track to face trial on two felony charges after a judge refused to dismiss allegations he abused his position for personal gain. Enter Article DATE HERE Middlesex Superior Court Judge Thomas P. Billings last week denied a request to drop the charge, finding a grand jury ...

Last year, Gulluni released a computer-generated rendering of a suspect using new technology that analyzed the DNA to predict the suspect's physical characteristics. September 18, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Massachusetts prosecutors say they've made an arrest in the slaying of a middle school teacher's aide 25 years ago. A court on Friday issued an...

Farak reported smoking crack in the bathroom at the lab all morning and pilfered some LSD before lunch September 6, 2017 SPRINGFIELD -- A civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court combines nearly every recent high-profile law enforcement scandal in the region -- which, according to the complaint, collided to unfairly put one man behind bars...

A civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court combines nearly every recent high-profile law enforcement scandal in the region September 5, 2017 SPRINGFIELD -- A civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court combines nearly every recent high-profile law enforcement scandal in the region -- which, according to the complaint, collided to unf...

Even as prosecutors scramble to address state drug laboratory misconduct that could undermine upwards of 18,000 cases statewide, a judge has lambasted law enforcement officials for their handling of the case September 2, 2017 AMHERST — Even as prosecutors scramble to address state drug laboratory misconduct that could undermine upwards of 18,000 ca...

A similar scandal in another Massachusetts crime lab, in which chemist Annie Dookhan was convicted of evidence tampering, resulted in the dismissal of 20,000 drug cases. August 27, 2017 In an editorial on Wednesday, the Daily Hampshire Gazette urged Massachusetts lawmakers to allocate funds for a comprehensive review of drug convictions based on ev...

The approximately $18,000, sources agreed, remained unaccounted for from three separate drug cases. August 18, 2017 WEST SPRINGFIELD - The mayor and police chief today confirmed that the second highest-ranking official in the police department has been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave amid an investigation into "discrepancies" involvi...

A former Framingham Police officer who was in charge of the department's evidence room is now facing criminal charges after authorities said he used his access to steal $20,000 from the department nearly a year and a half ago. January 26, 2017 FRAMINGHAM - A former Framingham Police officer who was in charge of the department's evidence room is now...

A former Framingham Police officer who was in charge of the department's evidence room is now facing criminal charges after authorities said he used his access to steal $20,000 from the department nearly a year and a half ago. Enter Article DATE HERE FRAMINGHAM - A former Framingham Police officer who was in charge of the department's evidence...

He died of an apparent suicide while under criminal indictment for allegedly stealing almost $400,000 from the Springfield Police Department's evidence room. August 10, 2017 SPRINGFIELD -- The widow of Kevin Burnham has agreed to relinquish the balance of Burnham's retirement annuity after he died of an apparent suicide while under criminal indictm...

Police officer accused of stealing money from the department's evidence room August 10, 2017 FRAMINGHAM — With his case scheduled to go to trial next month, an ex-Framingham police officer accused of stealing money from the department's evidence room is asking a judge to drop one of the charges against him. A lawyer representing former evidence roo...

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic drug that's not only dangerous to the user, but for everyone nearby, including first responders. August 5, 2017 (WWLP) – Saturday, three police officers in the Boston suburb of Chelsea were affected by second hand exposure to Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic drug that's not only dangerous to the user, but ...

They were also the only two departments that said they would need to charge a fee for the information. July 12, 2017 Most police departments questioned by MassLive about the number of untested rape kits among items in the evidence room shelves were able to produce an answer quickly and free of cost, but two departments said it would take hours of w...

The Middlesex District  Attorney is now providing every person with an active criminal case out of the Dracut Police Department a copy of a private audit showing that years of neglect and mismanagement led to a litany of mistakes in the department's evidence control practices. July 9, 2017 DA notifies defense attorneys on Dracut police evidenc...

A Medford Police Officer from Stoneham pled guilty Monday to two counts of witness intimidation in connection with taking evidence Enter Article DATE HERE STONEHAM, MA — A Medford Police Officer from Stoneham pled guilty Monday to two counts of witness intimidation in connection with taking evidence and lying to investigators during the invest...

The Attorney General's office is now in charge of the evidence room investigation. June 26, 2017 WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Attorney General's office is investigating a possible money issue in the West Springfield Police evidence room. Police Chief Ronald Campurciani told 22News that during an internal audit there were some ...

It is believed that this represents the DEA's largest seizure of a fentanyl precursor in the New England Region in recent years,'' according to a statement by the US attorney's office. June 9, 2017 About 50 kilograms of a fentanyl precursor with a potential street value of $570 million was seized by federal and local law enforcement in Northborough...

Beyond the over 21,000 cases likely to be dismissed, another 500 to 700 convictions would most likely not be vacated April 21, 2017 JURIST] The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court  on Thursday formally approved the dismissal [press release] of over 21,000 drug convictions that were deemed [order, PDF] to be "tainted" by a former state chemist...

inhaling powerful opioids can be deadly, so officers have a new tool to protect their four-legged partners: naloxone, a drug that has already been used for years to reverse overdoses in humans. June 7, 2017 BOSTON — Police dogs simply follow their noses to sniff out narcotics. But inhaling powerful opioids can be deadly, so officers have a new tool...

The Attorney General found evidence that Burnham tainted 170 different drug cases June 6, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Former Springfield police officer Kevin Burnham died an innocent man in the eyes of the law. The Attorney General's office told the I-Team, the larceny charges against Burnham will be dropped. It's unclear whether Burnham signe...

Burnham allegedly stole $400,000 from evidence room June 6, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It was a tragic ending to the life of a retired Springfield Police Officer, who had been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the police department's evidence room. Kevin Burnham allegedly stole nearly $400,000, between 2009 and 2014. H...

Retired Officer Kevin Burnham was supposed to have change-of-plea hearing June 5, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former Springfield police officer charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, after he failed to show up in court for a change-of-plea hearing Monday. The hearing for Kevin Burnha...

Ex-Springfield cop accused of stealing nearly $400K from evidence room May 31 ,2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A judge has denied an attorney's request for a re-continuance in the case of an ex-Springfield police officer accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the police department's evidence room. Retired Springfield Police Officer Kevin Burnham...

The cases handled by Sonja Farak—a former drug lab chemist in Amherst, Mass, who in 2014 was convicted of stealing and using drugs from the state laboratory where she worked for years—are still pending. The next wave of dismissals could include 18K or more tainted cases. April 20, 2017 This morning, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Cour...

A 31-year veteran Framingham Police officer accused of stealing more than $20,000 in cash from the department's evidence room May 23, 2017 FRAMINGHAM, MA - A 31-year veteran Framingham Police officer accused of stealing more than $20,000 in cash from the department's evidence room nearly two years ago is scheduled for a September trial. In Middlese...

Framingham Police Department's former evidence room officer and the discovery of a "hidden key'' to the evidence room was raised in court on Tuesday by the defense attorney for a Framingham man charged with drug trafficking. Enter Article DATE HERE WOBURN, MA -- The fallout from the scandal created by the alleged theft of money by the Framingh...

The Police Department's failure to follow numerous evidence policy requirements, leading to the mishandling of property and evidence, illuminates "years of neglect" and are part of systemic issues within the agency May 6, 2017 DRACUT -- The Police Department's failure to follow numerous evidence policy requirements, leading to the mishandling of pr...

Police Chief Ken Ferguson on Thursday sought to reassure residents that new measures are in place to safeguard the department's evidence room Enter Article DATE HERE FRAMINGHAM — Facing questions about thefts within his department, Police Chief Ken Ferguson on Thursday sought to reassure residents that new measures are in place to safeguard th...

Dookhan's prolific fakery resulted in a list of 40,000 cases possibly tainted by her work. Enter Article DATE HERE Back in 2012, it was discovered that a Massachusetts state drug lab technician had falsified thousands of tests submitted as evidence in criminal cases. Technician Annie Dookhan was able to "produce" three times as many test resul...

A retired Springfield police officer accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the department's evidence locker was in court again April 15, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A retired Springfield police officer accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the department's evidence locker was in court again on Monday. Kevin Burnham was only briefly in th...

Medical issues postpone trial date for retired Springfield police officer Kevin Burnham March 20, 2017 Springfield-Kevin Burnham, retired Springfield police officer, appears in Hampden County Superior Court where his case was continued until March.  Burnham is facing charges with stealing nearly $385,000 in cash from the police department's ev...

Monday is the trial date for retired Springfield Detective Kevin Burnham, accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the Police Department's evidence room over four and a half years March 17, 2017 SPRINGFIELD -- Monday is the trial date for retired Springfield Detective Kevin Burnham, accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the Police Department's e...

Regardless, police policy requires officers to deposit items they seize into evidence lockers at headquarters. March 1, 2017 LAWRENCE -- An 18-year veteran of the police force has been put on paid leave while the department investigates an allegation that he seized a legally registered handgun during a traffic stop last month and took the weapon ho...

An audit later determined that approximately $70,000 was missing, according to Healey's office March 1, 2017 RAMINGHAM — A veteran police officer who supervised the department's evidence room admitted in 2015 to stealing money under his care, according to new records filed in court Wednesday. Former patrolman Alan Dubeshter allegedly told several c...

In the last year alone, officials in Mass have investigated allegations of evidence room misconduct in police departments in Westford, Adams, Lee, Springfield, Framingham and Braintree, according to a running list maintained by the International Association for Property And Evidence Inc., one of the few organizations that train police on evidence h...

On August 14, 2015, money from "closed criminal cases" stored in a locked evidence room was discovered missing. Enter Article DATE HERE An investigation by the Attorney General's Office into missing money from the Westford Police Department evidence room is nearing its completion, Town Manager Jodi Ross said. On August 14, 2015, money from "cl...

He was arrested for downloading and viewing the video inside of the Adams Police Station evidence room. December 20, 2016 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Adams police officer will spend the next decade behind bars. Alan Vigiard pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to two counts of possession of child pornography and a single count of disseminati...

the town said the money was from closed criminal cases, and had been stored in the locked evidence room. Enter Article DATE HERE WESTFORD (CBS) — An investigation was opened over a year ago into the disappearance of an undisclosed amount of money from the Westford Police Department evidence room, the town of Westford said Thursday. In a statem...

Retired State Police Detective: "To be a new chief or a new evidence officer and not have an outside audit is foolish" November 17, 2016 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A retired Springfield police officer will stand trial in December for allegedly stealing nearly $400,000 from the police evidence room.  The 22News I-Team reveals if police departm...

The Braintree Police evidence room will be relocated and additional safeguards installed, the town council was told Tuesday night. November 16, 2016 RAINTREE – The police department's evidence room will be moved to the former pistol range on the lower level of the police station, Mayor Joseph Sullivan told the town council Tuesday night. Interim Po...

A retired Springfield officer will stand trial next month for allegedly stealing nearly $400,000 from the police evidence room. November 14, 2016 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - When police make an arrest, often times they confiscate evidence to be used to support charges against a defendant in court.  Depending on the crime, that evidence could b...