home

MA Lab Chemist Sentenced to Prison

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 12:28:25 PM EST
Tags: Annie Dookhan, lab fraud (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Former MA state chemist Annie Dookhan was sentenced to 3 to 5 years in prison today for falsifying lab tests.

Dookhan’s falsification of drug tests, in an attempt to look like a highly productive employee, prompted the release of hundreds of convicts, raised questions about thousands of cases, and forced the state to spend millions to address the problems

I reported the details of her fraud, and the implications here.

< Senate Votes to Limit Filibuster of Nominees | Friday Open Thread: 50 Years Ago Today >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    MA Lab Chemist Sentenced to Prison | 6 comments (6 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    I don't (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Mikado Cat on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 07:21:39 PM EST
    like the war on drugs, blame it for plenty, but this has its roots in innocence that should have been lost two decades ago as falsification of documents and references became well known in industry. This is fubar from incompetent political appointees running important organizations with no real concern for the basic function.

    Political organizations have trouble admitting fault, and without the admission of fault you can't correct problems. A savvy person can get into a position by lying, and once they get that first "golden" review, the boss will never admit they made a mistake and fire the person, because it reduces their own chances for going up the ladder.

    And her supervisors were? (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 12:35:35 PM EST
    I'd say they might have been as out to lunch as she was, just in a more professionally incompetent manner. Granted, she could've been sociopath deluxe, but come on.

    It's Odd to Me... (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 01:19:29 PM EST
    ...that there are no controls for a rogue employee.  I can't believe they don't audit results of crimes labs, or have another employee retest positives when there is so much on the line.

    LINK

    She lied about having a chemistry degree and processed 3-5 times the samples of any other employee.  She forged coworkers signatures and actually changed negative tests to positive.  Coworkers complained about her shoddy work and tests that cops had found to be negative came up positive when she tested.

    The problem was far beyond one person.  There simply were no controls at that lab, including validating her degree.

    Parent

    Excellent point. (none / 0) (#3)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 02:32:31 PM EST


    Parent
    Talk about an understatement... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 22, 2013 at 02:43:44 PM EST
    "The problem was far beyond one person."

    Yeah man, the problem is the war on drugs.  This sociopath is but a symptom of an infectious disease.

    Parent

    "Transubstantiation" of test results... (none / 0) (#6)
    by Mr Natural on Wed Nov 27, 2013 at 09:02:56 AM EST
    Are you Kidding?  The cops and prosecutors must have loved her.

    Parent
    MA Lab Chemist Sentenced to Prison | 6 comments (6 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment