New State Police scandal: Feds charge troopers gave out trucker licenses in exchange for bribes that included bottled water and iced tea

Four current and former state troopers and two trucker associates - one from East Boston - face federal charges in connection with a bribe-for-license deal at a State Police licensing unit in Stoughton, the US Attorney's office reports.

Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton, who headed the State Police Commercial Drivers License (CDL) unit was arrested, as was Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater, and retired Troopers Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax and Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham. Also arrested: Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth and Eric Mathison, 47, of East Boston.

They were charged with conspiracy to falsify records, conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, honest services mail fraud, falsification of records, false statements and perjury. Several of the charges have maximum potential sentences of 20 years in prison.

According to a 74-count indictment unsealed today, between May, 2019 and January, 2023, Cederquist, Butner, Mendes, Rogers and other troopers 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, using the code word "golden" to identify these applicants who received special treatment.

The troopers, the indictment charges, gave special treatment to other troopers, of course, as well as to Mathison and employees at the spring-water company where he worked:

It is alleged that Cederquist gave preferential treatment to four Class A CDL applicants who were MSP Troopers by falsely reporting that each trooper took and passed a Class A skills test. In reality, however, it is alleged that the Troopers did not pass the skills test and that they drove a vehicle which did not qualify as a Class A vehicle. It is alleged that Cederquist conspired with his friend Camara, who worked for a truck-driving school in Brockton, to accomplish this offense.

It is further alleged that Cederquist conspired with his friend Mathison, who worked for a spring water company that employed drivers who needed CDLs, to give passing scores to certain applicants affiliated with the water company. The indictment alleges that Cederquist gave passing scores to three such applicants who actually failed, in exchange for bribes of free inventory from the water company, such as cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, cases of bottled Arizona Iced Tea, and coffee and tea products, all of which Mathison delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. The indictment alleges that Cederquist sent Mathison a text describing one of these applicants as "an idiot," who had "no idea what he's doing," and "should have failed about 10 times already." It is alleged that Cederquist then texted Mathison that Mathison's boss "owes big time."

The indictment also alleges that Butner assisted with this conspiracy, including by giving Mathison a key to the Stoughton yard so that Mathison could drop off water company inventory even when the test site was closed. The indictment alleges that Mendes also took part in the conspiracy, including by accepting cases of Fiji and VOSS water from Mathison immediately after administering an incomplete skills test to a new driver for the water company, with Mathison helping to put the cases in Mendes’s cruiser. It is alleged that on one occasion Mathison texted Cederquist that he was heading to the water company’s warehouse in Bridgewater, writing: "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."

According to the charging document, in addition to Mathison's bribes of free inventory from the water company, Cederquist accepted additional bribes in exchange for using his official position as the Sergeant in charge of MSP's CDL Unit to give preferential treatment to certain CDL applicants including, but also a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snow blower valued at nearly $2,000. The indictment alleges that Cederquist described one such applicant as "horrible," and "brain dead," but gave him a passing score anyway in exchange for the snow blower.

The indictment alleges that the following texts, some by Cederquist and others by Butner, were sent about some of these applicants:

• 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;
• He's a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing;
• and
  Total mess this guy I think some time we should just do what we can but not golden.

Each of these applicants received a passing score on their skills test, the indictment charges.

Innocent, etc.

Complete indictment (11M PDF).