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Massachusetts State Police troopers among 6 arrested, charged with bribery in 74-count indictment

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Massachusetts State Police troopers among 6 arrested, charged with bribery in 74-count indictment

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts has announced that six people, including current and former Massachusetts State Police troopers, have been arrested and charged in a 74-count indictment that includes alleged bribery conspiracy.

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua Levy told reporters at a press conference at the Boston Federal Courthouse on Tuesday that the indictment revealed that four state troopers and two civilians are alleged to have falsified documents to give guaranteed passing scores for commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants. 

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Levy said four of the defendants were arrested Tuesday morning, including two state troopers, Sgt. Gary Cederquist and Joel Rogers. The two civilians who were also arrested were Scott Camara and Eric Mathison. 

Two retired state troopers were arrested in Florida on Monday, Levy said, identifying them as Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes.

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Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced the 74-count indictment on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“The indictment alleged these defendants gave passing scores to people who did not pass the test to obtain a CDL,” Levy said. “In return for passing unqualified applicants, one of the defendants is alleged to have received personal benefits of a variety in nature. These included items that were several thousands of dollars in value, like a new $10,000 driveway, a $2,000 snowblower and ‘other such items.’”

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He added, “The grand jury indictment against these six men includes extortion, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements and falsification of records.”

“The civilians who were charged either provided free goods or conspired with the troopers to pass applicants who did not actually pass the test,” Levy said. “These defendants all conspired to pass applicants who either failed the test, did not take the test, or took an abbreviated test.”

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua Levy said the alleged actions of the defendants showed the “CDLs were for sale” and skirted federal regulations that are in place to help safeguard residents on the roadways. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Levy said the alleged actions of the defendants showed the “CDLs were for sale” and that they were bribed to pass applicants “no matter how they performed on the tests.”

BOSTON ANNOUNCES REPARATIONS TASK FORCE THAT WILL STUDY IMPACT SLAVERY HAD ON RESIDENTS: CITY ‘ON TRIAL’

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He noted that three of the officers allegedly began falsifying documents in August 2018 for “certain CDL applicants.” A fourth state trooper joined in the alleged criminal conspiracy in 2022. 

Levy specified the licenses are federal requirements to ensure drivers on the road operating large vehicles are doing so safely. These tests and licenses help keep the driver of the vehicle safe as well as all those on the roads with them. 

Levy added the alleged actions of these defendants skirt the federal requirements and put the drivers who received the CDLs without passing the test in danger, as well as anyone else on the roads with them.

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua Levy said the alleged actions of these defendants skirt the federal requirements and put the drivers on the road at unnecessary risk. (LAUREN OWENS LAMBERT/AFP via Getty Images)

“These standards and regulations exist for one very simple reason: to protect and prevent death and injuries from the operations of commercial vehicles,” he continued.

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Levy said the defendants “allegedly displayed no regard for the public safety consequences by allowing people who didn’t pass the test to have a CDL and operate commercial trucks.”

The acting attorney said the indictment includes text messages between the officers joking about the conduct and the extra privileges. 

His office is working with the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles to track down those individuals who are known to have obtained a CDL improperly.

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Boston, MA

Boy, 13, hospitalized after being found unresponsive in swimming pool at Beverly home

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Boy, 13, hospitalized after being found unresponsive in swimming pool at Beverly home


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The boy was stabilized and flown to a Boston hospital, police said.

A 13-year-old boy was flown to a Boston hospital after he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a home in Beverly on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Police and firefighters were called to a home on Parramatta Road after bystanders pulled the boy from the pool, the Beverly Police Department wrote in a press release.

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Bystanders administered CPR until first responders arrived, according to police. First responders continued CPR and other “life saving measures,” police said.

An ambulance took the boy to Beverly Hospital where he was stabilized. He was then taken by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital, police said.

The incident is currently being investigated by Beverly police, the department said.

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Pittsburg, PA

Caps Go Big on Trade Market, Light the Way for Penguins Rebuild

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Caps Go Big on Trade Market, Light the Way for Penguins Rebuild


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Two years ago, in his postseason press conference, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas specifically cited the Washington Capitals as one of two teams that were models for rebuilding without using the hockey equivalent of gasoline and matches to first burn it down.

On Wednesday, Washington completed their second big trade in two days, significantly bolstering their top two lines when they acquired Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres in a sign-and-trade that netted Tuch an $84 million payday and Buffalo a mere third-round pick.

To this point, the Penguins and Washington rebuilds have followed similar paths, though Washington had a good head start.

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In the last 24 months, each team has made the playoffs, and each team has seen its AHL affiliate go on an extended AHL playoff run. Washington surprised most by making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25, and the Penguins surprised most by making the playoffs in 2025-26.

However, it’s in the various states of rebuild that this week, Washington showed the advantage of that head start.

While Dubas stated he wanted to acquire a player aged in his later 20s who was an impact player, it was Washington who pulled the trick by acquiring high-scoring winger Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues.

Then, with their impact player in hand, Washington doubled down by executing a sign-and-trade with Buffalo for free-agent-to-be Tuch. Washington then lavished an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $10.5 million on the player who turned 30 last month.

A gritty winger, Tuch has scored at least 33 goals in three of the last four seasons as he found a greater role in Buffalo than his bottom-six duty in Vegas.

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For those who remark that Tuch’s contract is expensive, don’t forget that the salary cap is going to spike again next season to something close to $113 million, and probably keep going up for years after that. Some estimates say it could be over $130 million in just a few years.

Today’s $10 million is tomorrow’s bargain, just like Rickard Rakell’s $5 million AAV Penguins contract was hefty when he signed it four years ago. Whether or not Tuch’s deal will age well is beside the point–half of the contract will be prime years, and a couple more should be quite serviceable. Washington can worry about 2034, many years from now, when that contract is less than 7% of the salary cap.

Indeed, Dubas had hoped to be able to acquire a Kyrou type. And if he did, a Tuch type would have made sense, too, because the Penguins have nothing in the middle. They have a bevy of 25 and under players, a few players who are at least 33, and still more three players who are 38 and older.

Jason Robertson remains unsigned in Dallas, and perhaps Dubas can leverage the farm for him, though plenty of teams are interested. The simple truth is that Washington was able to go big this year because they started a couple of years ahead of the Penguins. Dubas can play catch-up, but he’s not yet there.

And now Washington has made the huge leap forward. Their top nine is impressive with only two players 30 and older (Tom Wilson, 33, and Tuch, 30). They have four players who are 25 and under (and three were draft picks) with big-time potential who have already had some success in the NHL (Alieksai Protas, Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard). And 24-year-old Justin Sourdif had 15 goals from the third line this season, too.

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Oh, and they have Cole Hutson, thought to be a stud defenseman ready to make the leap. He had 10 points (3-7-10) in 14 NHL games at the end of the season after his Boston U campaign ended.

If Dubas tries to make the big splash, he very likely does not have enough trade capital to acquire a big name and have anything left. Yes, the Penguins have young players like Rutger McGroarty on the way, with Ben Kindel already here, but the depth and quality are not similar.

Yet.

It’s OK that Washington is ahead. It proves that Dubas is on a plausible path and lights the way. Penguins fans should also note that Washington didn’t spend assets too soon, and now they are packed with players under 30, most of whom are 25 and under, and they could easily (and should) send Alex Ovechkin’s call to voicemail when he wants to return.

Dubas was right to emulate Washington, and he would be right to do so when the time is right.

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Tags: kyle dubas nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals

Categorized:NHL Trade Rumors Penguins Trade Talk



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Connecticut

Report details economic and racial disparities in Connecticut schools

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Report details economic and racial disparities in Connecticut schools


NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A new report is highlighting deep economic and racial disparities across Connecticut’s public school districts, ranking the state among the most segregated in the country.

The study by the nonprofit Brown’s Promise found Connecticut has some of the nation’s most pronounced divides — placing sixth worst for economic segregation and 11th for racial segregation.

Researchers measured economic segregation by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

According to the report, some of the highest concentrations of low-income students are found in districts just miles from the state’s wealthiest communities.

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“We provide this measure of how much is it happening between districts, like across those district lines, versus inside districts like what you would find in larger school districts,” said Stephen Owens, a researcher with Brown’s Promise.

The findings may seem surprising, as Connecticut and other Northeastern states show higher levels of segregation than some Southern states that once legally enforced it.

But Owens said those historic boundaries — and the way communities developed — continue to shape access to education today.

“If your schools were built out of like the lines of the towns, the municipality, then it means that the residential patterns, where people choose to live or where they grew up, end up being copied right onto the schools,” he said.

State and local leaders across the political spectrum have long acknowledged with variations of a phrase that has become alarmingly common.

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“You are essentially going to attend the school where your ZIP code is,” House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said poverty plays a central role.

“It has nothing to do with the quality of education being provided. It has everything to do with poverty,” Elicker said.

Efforts to address the issue have long been debated at the state Capitol.

To varying degrees, Democrats have pushed for increased education funding, progressives often jousting with moderates about size and scale. Republicans tend to emphasize the charter school model. There is bipartisan agreement that the state’s current education aide system needs to be retooled.

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Gov. Ned Lamont acknowledged the challenge, saying the state must continue working toward improvement.

“You’ve got to try every day to do better,” the Democrat said.

The issue is expected to play a major role in Connecticut’s upcoming gubernatorial race, with the three candidates offering their own solutions.


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