BOSTON (AP) – The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles said Friday that more than 20 commercial drivers have had their licenses demoted following a scandal in which state police troopers allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for passing exam scores. announced.
The RMV announced that it has identified 26 people who did not properly pass the test and converted them to Class D passenger licenses. If the unnamed person wants to obtain a commercial license, he or she will need to complete and pass all necessary permits and skills tests.
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RMV said it is not aware of any crashes involving drivers. Records were being scrutinized to see if anyone else may have obtained a license fraudulently.
“The RMV is committed to ensuring the safety of the public on our roads. …The RMV will take appropriate action against additional individuals identified who should not be operating commercial vehicles.” mentioned in.
The Massachusetts RMV has downgraded more than 20 licenses following a scandal involving bribes paid to obtain commercial licenses.
Two current and two former police officers were among six people indicted this week for allegedly accepting bribes that included a new snow blower and a driveway.
The officers are accused of falsifying records and giving preferential treatment to at least 17 people taking commercial driver’s license tests between May 2019 and January 2023.
According to the indictment, if a driver failed a skills test, the officers would inform them that they had passed the test using a text message using the slang term “golden.” Some people reportedly joked about the driver’s poor driving skills in the messages.
Arrested on Tuesday were Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton, and Officer Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater. Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax, and Perry Mendez, 63, of Wareham, both former state troopers, were arrested in Florida on Monday.
All four are charged with more than 70 charges, including conspiracy to falsify records, racketeering, and making false statements.
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Two other people, Eric Matheson, 47, of Boston, and Scott Kamara, 42, of Rehoboth, were also allegedly involved in the scheme. Cederquist allegedly conspired with Matheson, who worked for a spring water company that hired drivers who required commercial licenses, to give drivers passing grades. And he helped four state troopers obtain commercial licenses, along with Camera, who worked at a truck driving school in Brockton.
Phone numbers for all six cannot be found, and their attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
