Ex-Mass. State Police sergeant convicted in driver's license bribery scandal

A former Massachusetts State Police sergeant who was among six people charged in a scheme to take bribes in exchange for giving passing scores on commercial driving tests was found guilty in federal court Friday on most counts, prosecutors said.

Gary Cederquist was the only one of the six to go to trial — the others took responsibility, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts.

The Stoughton resident was found guilty of extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, mail fraud, falsifying records and more, a total of 48 counts. He was acquitted of nine counts, including two of extortion and one of conspiracy, prosecutors said.

“Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve. His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver’s licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.

State police dishonorably discharged Cederquist last year.

Two troopers have been suspended without pay from Massachusetts State Police as federal authorities investigate allegations of bribery.

Cederquist and three other former troopers and two civilians falsified records and gave preferential treatment to drivers who were taking their commercial drivers license, or CDL, test. Even when the drivers failed a skills test, the troopers passed them and communicated they had done so with a text and the code word “golden.”

Cederquist was in charge of the unit, and allegedly arranged to give passing scores to at least three dozen CDL applicants, whether or not they passed the skills test. Prosecutors said Cederquist, who was also accused of helping four state troopers get CDLs, accepted as bribes a new driveway worth $10,000, a snowblower valued at $2,000 and a $750 granite mailbox.

Most of the charges Cederquist was convicted on carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. He’s due for sentencing July 24.

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.”