One other former Massachusetts State Police trooper pleaded responsible to his position in a conspiracy at hand out industrial drivers licenses in trade for items and companies on the identical day that the trial started for the alleged ringleader of the operation.
Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham, pleaded responsible in federal courtroom in Boston to at least one rely of conspiracy to falsify data, three counts of falsifying data and two counts of constructing false statements.
U.S. District Court docket Choose Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 15.
Mendes was one among six named in a January 2024 74-count indictment that alleged the State Police’s industrial drivers license, or CDL, unit would cross drivers who had failed the take a look at in trade for items — what prosecutors say they referred to as “the golden handshake.”
The alleged chief of this conspiracy is ex-Sgt. Gary Cederquist. Whereas Mendes and three others have already or are anticipated to quickly plead responsible, Cederquist’s destiny is within the palms of a jury. Opening statements in his case have been delivered in courtroom Tuesday.
The indictment alleges that between Could 2019 and January 2023, the unit gave computerized passing scores to a minimum of 17 CDL candidates no matter their potential on the abilities take a look at, or in the event that they even really took the abilities take a look at in any respect.
Cederquist is accused of handing over CDLs for items like a brand new driveway valued at $10,000 and a $2,000 snow blower.
Every defendant is charged with varied counts of extortion, trustworthy companies mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and falsification of data.
Mendes’ responsible plea follows that of ex-Trooper Calvin Butner, who pleaded responsible to his position on April 7. Civilian co-conspirator Eric Mathison pleaded responsible on March 21 to at least one rely of conspiracy to commit extortion.
Scott Camara, one other civilian defendant, has a change of plea listening to scheduled for Wednesday. The case in opposition to a ultimate defendant, Joel Rogers, remains to be pending.
The indictment used a lot of its 76 pages to element textual content message exchanges between the defendants laughing about how woefully removed from the mark CDL candidates have been from incomes their CDL licenses in the event that they hadn’t entered into the conspiracy to change into “golden applicants.”
“Your buddy passed yesterday he owes you that’s an automatic Fail leaving the door open !!! Also did not have 3 points of contact and [they] came out forward instead of backwards but [they] passed thanks to you,” Cederquist allegedly texted his unnamed boss on Could 16, 2019.
Whereas the necessities of a CDL are regulated by the U.S. Division of Transportation, the abilities checks to see if a driver meets the necessities are administered by the state. In Massachusetts, that position is carried out by the State Police.
The CDL expertise take a look at just isn’t a straightforward one, as, in line with the indictment, the newest years for which knowledge is obtainable every present that greater than half of candidates didn’t cross. In 2019, 48% of candidates handed, 44% in 2020, and 41% in each 2021 and 2022.
