City fires lab worker arrested in meth case
Justin Volk, the forensic lab analyst caught in Utah allegedly driving with an evidence bag of methamphetamine and various pills, has been let go by the San Francisco medical examiner’s office.
The update came in a brief email sent Friday to nearly 40 staffers in the examiner’s office by Deputy City Administrator Ken Bukowski.
“The purpose of this email is to inform you that Justin Volk is no longer an employee of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner,” the email read. “While personnel matters are confidential, I wanted to inform you of this employment status change prior to you potentially learning about it in the media.”
A spokesman for the City Administrator’s Office confirmed that Volk was “released from city employment,” meaning he was terminated.
“The purpose of this email is to inform you that Justin Volk is no longer an employee of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.” Ken Bukowski, San Francisco deputy city administrator
Volk, 40, was arrested in late August and immediately placed on administrative leave. Prosecutors in Washington County, Utah, have charged him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was booked on Aug. 31 and released that evening on $ 10,000 cash bail, according to sheriff’s officials.
Volk’s departure, while hardly unexpected, is the latest chapter in a case that’s sparked an exhaustive investigation by the San Francisco district attorney’s office, where prosecutors are charged with determining which cases Volk may have tainted. An initial review indicates Volk was involved in 2,500 cases in the past eight years with the medical examiner’s office, including 500 death investigations and toxicology testing for 1,200 sexual assaults and 800 DUIs.
Former employees in the examiner’s office have told The Chronicle that number may be much higher. Volk was on the staff for 13 years.
City employees cannot be terminated just because they’re facing criminal charges, since they are presumed innocent. Any firing must come after a separate, internal investigation. Once it is completed, employees have 30 days to appeal any decision to the Civil Service Commission.
Volk may also face charges in San Francisco, if investigators find evidence he skimmed drugs from the lab.
He did not respond to requests for comment.
The city Controller’s Office is conducting a separate probe to determine whether all prescription and illicit drug evidence at the medical examiner’s office is properly stored and accounted for. Officials may broaden that review to examine the office’s policies and practices for handling evidence.
A draft memorandum of the controller’s results is expected to be released by midOctober.