Another former Massachusetts State Police trooper pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to hand out commercial drivers licenses in exchange for goods and services on the same day that the trial began for the alleged ringleader of the operation.
Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and two counts of making false statements.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 15.
Mendes was one of six named in a January 2024 74-count indictment that alleged the State Police’s commercial drivers license, or CDL, unit would pass drivers who had failed the test in exchange for gifts — what prosecutors say they called “the golden handshake.”
The alleged leader of this conspiracy is ex-Sgt. Gary Cederquist. While Mendes and three others have already or are expected to soon plead guilty, Cederquist’s fate is in the hands of a jury. Opening statements in his case were delivered in court Tuesday.
The indictment alleges that between May 2019 and January 2023, the unit gave automatic passing scores to at least 17 CDL applicants regardless of their ability on the skills test, or if they even actually took the skills test at all.
Cederquist is accused of handing over CDLs for gifts like a new driveway valued at $10,000 and a $2,000 snow blower.
Each defendant is charged with various counts of extortion, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and falsification of records.
Mendes’ guilty plea follows that of ex-Trooper Calvin Butner, who pleaded guilty to his role on April 7. Civilian co-conspirator Eric Mathison pleaded guilty on March 21 to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
Scott Camara, another civilian defendant, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The case against a final defendant, Joel Rogers, is still pending.
The indictment used much of its 76 pages to detail text message exchanges between the defendants laughing about how woefully far from the mark CDL applicants were from earning their CDL licenses if they hadn’t entered into the conspiracy to become “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 May 16, 2019.
While the requirements of a CDL are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the skills tests to see if a driver meets the requirements are administered by the state. In Massachusetts, that role is performed by the State Police.
The CDL skills test is not an easy one, as, according to the indictment, the most recent years for which data is available each show that more than half of applicants did not pass. In 2019, 48% of applicants passed, 44% in 2020, and 41% in both 2021 and 2022.