Six individuals, including four Massachusetts State Police troopers, face charges in connection with an elaborate scheme to manipulate Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) records, as revealed in a 74-count indictment. The charges include conspiracy to falsify records, extortion, mail fraud, false statements, and perjury.
According to a press release from the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office, the indicted individuals are Gary Cederquist, Calvin Butner, Perry Mendes, Joel Rogers, Scott Camara, and Eric Mathison. Cederquist, as the head of the State Police’s CDL Unit, allegedly conspired with the others to provide passing scores to CDL applicants, regardless of their actual performance, in exchange for bribes.
The scheme involved giving preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants, identified by the code word “golden.” Text messages revealed discussions about applicants owing favors, with each receiving a passing score despite potential failures.
All CDL recipients identified as unqualified in the investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. The charges carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release, and fines.
The ongoing investigation involves federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.
