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Those applicants include people who failed or did not take the CDL skills test, according to Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy for the District of Massachusetts.
The following people were charged on three counts of conspiracy to falsify records; 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:
- Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton
- Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax
- Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham
- Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater
- Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth
- Eric Mathison, 47, of Boston
Cederquist led MSP’s CDL Unit, which was responsible for giving the skills tests. Rogers and retired troopers Butner and Mendes were members of the unit.
According to court documents, between May 2019 and January 2023, Cederquist, Butner, Mendes, Rogers, and others gave preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by giving passing scores on their skills tests and using the code word “golden” for each applicant.
Texts were sent between Cederquist and Butner about some of the applicants, including:
- “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 also allegedly falsely reported that four troopers had taken and passed a Class A skills test.
Mathison, who worked for a spring water company that employed drivers who needed CDLs, gave passing scores to applicants affiliated with the company in exchange for free products, authorities said.
Other bribes Cederquist accepted include a $750 granite post and mailbox, a new driveway worth $10,000, and a snow blower priced at $2,000, prosecutors said.
CDL recipients who failed the course were reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, officials said.
Colonel John Mawn Jr., interim superintendent for the state police, condemned the actions of the CDL unit members in a statement:
“The Massachusetts State Police demand and expect all members to conduct themselves with integrity, honesty, and in accordance with all federal and state laws and Department policies, rules, and regulations. The Department condemns the actions of the four current and former CDL Unit members as alleged in the federal indictment and our internal affairs investigation. The alleged misconduct of those defendants is the antithesis of and in stark contrast to the values, character, and integrity exhibited by the overwhelming majority of our Troopers every day in service to the public.”
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