Lab chemist Annie Dookhan was seen as a “superwoman” in her field for turning over more than 11,000 drug test results where other chemists completed an average of 1,981. However, in 2012, it was discovered that Dookhan was tampering with test results, a misconduct that has officially lead to the dismissal of 21,587 drug cases

According to The Washington Post, Dookhan hoped to get drug dealers “off the streets.” To accomplish this, Dookhan took the samples she was meant to unbiasedly test for drug abuse and mixed samples to ensure a positive, an unethical practice known as “dry-labbing.” Dookhan also admitted to forging the signatures of her co-workers to turn over samples not yet tested. 

On Thursday, May 10, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced that the defendants of over 20,000 drug cases involved with Dookhan’s lab would be hereby dismissed. 

“Today is a major victory for justice, fairness and the tens of thousands of people who were wrongfully convicted based on fabricated evidence,” American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Carol Rose said in a statement

It has since been discovered that Dookhan’s also lied about graduating magna cum laude from Boston Latin Academy as such an honor does not exist at the school. She also claimed to have had a master’s degree in chemistry, which was never earned. 

“She wanted to be able to say that she was an accomplished person,” Dookhan’s former supervisor Anthony Parham told the Globe

Dookhan has been charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and tampering with evidence.

According to CBS, Dookhan’s crimes have cost the state of Massachusetts about $8.5 million to respond to the crisis. Another $8.6 million will be budgeted for the next year, intended for continued handling of the issue. Up to $30 million will be authorized by the Legislature to cover the costs from the court, prosecutors, public defenders and more. 

According to the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), tests commonly detect the use of amphetamines (meth, speed, crank, ecstasy), THC (cannabinoids, marijuana, hash), cocaine (coke, crack), opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine) and phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust). In the state of Massachusetts, heroin and opiates are considered Class A drugs, and users can receive up to 10 years in prison; cocaine, phencyclidine and amphetamines are considered Class B drugs, and users can receive up to two years in prison. Those who are found to have over one ounce of marijuana, a Class D substance, receive up to two years in prison.

For her crimes, Dookhan has been sentenced to three to five years in prison with two years of probation.