Around New England

Massachusetts State Troopers Among Six Indicted On Charges of Falsely Giving Passing Scores To Woeful Truck-Driver’s-License Candidates

January 31, 2024

Several Massachusetts state troopers conspired to give passing scores for commercial driver’s licenses to would-be truck drivers who failed their road test in exchange for goods and services, federal prosecutors say.

State troopers often sent text messages after the test describing the applicant as a “mess,” but passed the applicant anyway, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts in Boston.

A federal grand jury has indicted two current state troopers (Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton; and Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater); two retired state troopers (Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax; and Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham); an instructor at a truck driving school in Brockton (Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth); and a water supply company employee (Eric Mathison, 47, of Boston).

In return for the false passing scores, troopers got free bottled water, Arizona iced tea, and coffee and tea from the water supply company, according to the press release.

Cederquist, a State Police sergeant, also got a newly resurfaced asphalt driveway valued at more than $10,000, a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000, and a mailbox and granite post valued at about $750, according to the press release.

The defendants’ actions are federal crimes because they subverted federal standards for truck drivers, prosecutors say.

The counts include conspiracy to falsify records, aiding and abetting falsification of records, conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, and mail fraud, according to the indictment, which is dated Thursday, January 25.

The indictment was made public Tuesday, January 30, after the defendants were arrested.

Before-and-after photos of the driveway of Gary Cederquist, a Massachusetts State Police sergeant, in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Source: Indictment by U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston dated Thursday, January 25, 2024.

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