Gary Cederquist, Bribery and Extortion Conspiracy, Massachusetts 2024

BOSTON – A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) has been found guilty of orchestrating a series of schemes to give false passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants.

Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements.

Cederquist was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion, three counts of falsification of records and three counts of false statements.

In January 2024, Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with three other MSP troopers and two civilians: Former Trooper Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax; Former Trooper Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham; Former Trooper Joel Rogers, 56, of Bridgewater; Scott Camara, 44, of Rehoboth; and Eric Mathison, 48, of Boston.

All of Cederquist’s co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their involvement in the conspiracy. Butner, Mendes, Camara and Mathison have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

“It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Gary Cederquist; Exact Criminal Charges: Two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements; City and State: Boston, Massachusetts; Exact Date: January 2024; Sentence or Outcome: Convicted; Dollar Amounts: N/A

Crime Details: Gary Cederquist, a former Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), was found guilty of orchestrating a series of schemes to give false passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants.

A jury in the U.S. District Court in Boston convicted Cederquist of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements.

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