State chemist faces 24 more charges in lab scandal

By Andrea Estes and John R. Ellement Globe Staff,December 18, 2012, 5:03 a.m.

A grand jury indicted state drug lab chemist Annie Dookhan Monday on 27 counts of obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, perjury, and other charges in connection with the biggest law enforcement scandal in recent Massachusetts history.

The indictments announced by Attorney General Martha Coakley greatly expand the charges against Dookhan, 35, since she was originally arrested in September on three counts, one of them a misdemeanor charge of lying on her resume. All 24 new charges are felonies that could carry long prison terms if she is convicted.

“We allege that Annie Dookhan tampered with drug evidence and fabricated test results on multiple occasions,” Coakley said in a statement. “Her alleged actions have sent ripple effects throughout the criminal justice system. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to fix this situation and restore trust in the criminal justice system.”

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Michael Tumposky, a defense lawyer with cases involving Dookhan, said the chemist did not seem to understand the gravity of the accusations, insisting even as she admitted that she “screwed up” that she never meant to hurt anyone.

“There’s an irony here,” Tumposky said. “She will be prosecuted on one floor of the courthouse, while upstairs dozens and dozens of the people she helped put in jail wrongfully are trying to get themselves out.”