BOSTON – Two current Massachusetts State Troopers, two retired troopers, and two others have been charged in federal court in connection with a bribery conspiracy to give passing grades to Commercial Drive’s License (CDL) applicants who failed or did not take the mandated skills test.
Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton was in charge of the state police Massachusetts State Police (MSP) CDL Unit. Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater, and retired Troopers Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax, and Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham were members of the unit.
Also charged are Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth, an employee at a Brockton-based truck driving school, and Eric Mathison, 47, of Boston, an employee at a spring water company which employed CDL drivers.
The six men faces charges that include:
- Three counts of Conspiracy to Commit Extortion;
- Three counts of Extortion;
- Six counts of Honest Services Mail Fraud;
- 31 counts of Falsification of Records;
- 27 counts of False Statements; and
- One count of Perjury
The MSP CDL Unit administers CDL skills tests according to the standards set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The test is demanding, with just 41 percent of Massachusetts applicants achieving a passing score in both 2022 and 2021. Class A CDLs are required to drive combination vehicles, including tractor-trailers. Class B CDLs are required to drive heavy single vehicles, including box trucks and school buses.
According to federal prosecutors, from around May 2019 to January 2023, Cederquist, Butner, Mendes, Rogers and others conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their skills tests whether or not they actually passed. They are alleged to use the code word “golden’ to identify these applicants who received special treatment.
Prosecutors say texts sent by Cederquist and Butner describe some of the applicants which received passing scores:
- “Your buddy passed yesterday he owes you that’s an automatic Fail leaving the door open!!!”
- “This guys a mess. Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch. 4 compounds and no watch”
- “Your buddy is a mess. He owes you big time. He will be fine though. Anything for you”
- “Golden mess.”
- “He’s a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing”
- “Total mess this guy I think some time we should just do what we can but not golden.”
Cederquist is also accused of giving preferential treatment to four Class A CDL applicants who were MSP Troopers by falsely reporting they passed the skills test. Prosecutors allege those Troopers did not pass pass the test and drove a vehicle not qualified as Class A. Cederquist allegedly conspired with a friend and employee of a truck-driving school in Brockton, Camara, in this offense.
Cederquist also allegedly conspired with another friend and employee of a spring water company, Mathison, to give passing scores to three applicants who failed the test and were affiliated with the company. Mathison allegedly provided free inventory from the company to Cederquist in exchange for passing the applicants.
Butner allegedly provided Mathison a key to access the test site in Stoughton, so the inventory could be dropped off outside of the house the test site was open. Mendes allegedly accepted inventory from the water company from Mathison immediately after administering an incomplete skills test to a new driver for the water company.
Prosecutors says one text message exchange included Mathison writing that he “was heading to Bridgewater seeing if you all need anything on return trip. Did you get a new key for the midnight express,” to which Cederquist replied, “Not yet but I need Voss and Italian toast espresso and some decaf for an old timer at the office.”
Beyond the free inventory provided by Mathison, Cederquist also allegedly accepted a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snow blower valued at nearly $2,000. Prosecutors says that Cederquist described one applicant as “horrible,” and “brain dead,” but gave him a passing score anyway in exchange for the snow blower.
Butner and Mendes will be arraigned at a later date. Both have been arrested in Florida. Cederquist, Rogers, Camara, and Mathison were due in court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say that applicants identified as not qualified during the investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. They also say the investigation is ongoing.
Each charge provides for the following sentence:
- Conspiracy to falsify records: up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- Conspiracy to commit extortion: up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- Extortion: up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- Honest services mail fraud: up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- Falsification of records: up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- False statements: up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
- Perjury: up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on events as described by the U.S. Department of Justice. The claims within are allegations which may be challenged by the accused in court.
