Jail Time for 2 More in CDL Testing Scam in Massachusetts

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In a follow up to the fraudulent CDL bribery scam in Washington and Massachusetts, two more participants in a Massachusetts CDL testing scheme have been sentenced to prison, bringing the total number of convicted defendants to four. The case centers on former State Police Sergeant Gary Cederquist, who was convicted of granting passing scores to unqualified applicants and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14.

Sentences Handed Down

Eric Mathison, who worked for a beverage hauling company, received one year and one day in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Mathison provided Cederquist with products like Essentia water and Arizona Iced Tea in exchange for passing CDL scores. Prosecutors had sought a two-year sentence.

Scott Camara, a truck driving school instructor and longtime friend of Cederquist, was sentenced to one month in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to falsify records and perjury. The U.S. Attorney had requested a significantly harsher penalty of 10 months.

Camara will also serve one year of supervised release and pay a $200 “special assessment.”

How the Scheme Worked

The conspiracy allowed unqualified candidates, including fellow state troopers, to obtain CDLs without taking required tests.

“When the troopers showed up for their tests, they all experienced the following: Cederquist did not provide a Class A vehicle or a sponsor, and none of the troopers took a real skills test,” prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo.

Instead, applicants drove a truck without a trailer owned by Camara’s employer. “None of them took the air brakes test; none of them performed required maneuvers inside the marked lanes and cones (some of them performed zero maneuvers); and none of them performed the road test with Cederquist in the passenger seat. Instead, each of them sat in the truck cab with Mr. Camara, drove around the yard for a bit, and then went out on the road with Mr. Camara.”

At trial, one trooper admitted it was “the first time he had ever driven a truck with a manual transmission. At one point he was doing so poorly that he and Mr. Camara had to switch seats.”

Prosecutors Push for Tougher Sentences

The U.S. Attorney’s office argued that Camara’s professional background should have compelled him to uphold testing standards.

“He knew the requirements of a CDL skills test, and knew why the test was difficult – because putting unqualified drivers of heavy trucks and buses on the road risks public safety,” prosecutors said. “More than most CDL holders, Mr. Camara knew the risks involved in letting unqualified applicants get their CDLs. He put his friendship with Cederquist ahead of the dangers he knew about when he conspired to falsify records.”

Additional Information

The Massachusetts CDL conspiracy originally involved 74 counts and five defendants. In addition to Mathison, Camara, and Cederquist, two other state troopers, Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes, were previously sentenced to short prison terms, supervised release, and fines.

Source: FreightWaves