In a shocking revelation, four current and former Massachusetts State Police troopers have been arrested in connection with a bribery scheme involving the guarantee of passing scores on commercial driver’s license (CDL) tests. The alleged conspiracy, spanning from May 2019 to January 2023, implicated Sergeant Gary Cederquist, Trooper Joel Rogers, and retired Troopers Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes. Two civilians, Scott Camara and Eric Mathison, were also arrested in connection with the scandal.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office for Massachusetts, the troopers, all members of the state police commercial driver’s license unit, are accused of providing special treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants. The charging document suggests that a secret code word, ‘golden,’ was used to identify applicants receiving preferential treatment.
Sergeant Gary Cederquist, the alleged mastermind, is accused of accepting personal bribes in the form of a $750 granite post and mailbox, a $10,000 driveway, and a $2,000 snow blower. These goods were reportedly given in return for passing unqualified CDL applicants.
The indictment further reveals a collaboration between Cederquist and Eric Mathison, a truck driving school employee, to ensure passing scores for water company-affiliated applicants. In exchange, Mathison is said to have delivered free inventory, including cases of bottled water and tea products, to a CDL test site office trailer. Retired Trooper Calvin Butner is also implicated in assisting in the scheme.
One of the more egregious accusations involves Cederquist providing preferential treatment to fellow state troopers by falsely reporting test results. These troopers, who allegedly did not pass the tests, drove vehicles that did not qualify as Class A.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy stated in a news conference, “The grand jury indictment against these six men includes charges of extortion, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and falsifications of records.” He described the scandal as a case where “CDLs were for sale, and troopers were bribed with free goods to pass applicants no matter how they performed on the test.”
The suspects’ text messages, obtained by investigators, revealed derogatory comments about certain applicants they passed, with one text stating, “This guy’s a mess. Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch. 4 compounds and no watch.”
The Massachusetts State Police, aware of the federal investigation since the end of 2022, have fully cooperated with authorities and initiated their own internal audit. Col. John Mawn Jr., interim superintendent of the state police, condemned the alleged misconduct, emphasizing that it goes against the values and integrity exhibited by the majority of troopers in service to the public.
At their initial appearances, Cederquist, Rogers, Mathison, and Camara pleaded not guilty. Butner and Mendes are expected to appear later. The investigation continues, with all identified unqualified CDL recipients reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.