BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, Perry Mendes, a 64-year-old former Massachusetts State Police trooper from Wareham, pleaded guilty to his role in an alleged conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants.
According to the charging document, Mendes and his co-conspirators used the code word “golden handshake” or “golden,” for short, to identify applicants who would receive special treatment.
The alleged scheme took place between May 2019 and January 2023, during which Mendes and his co-conspirators conspired to give automatic passing scores to at least 17 CDL applicants on their skills tests, regardless of whether they actually passed.
Mendes admitted to his role in the alleged conspiracy, including that he cut skills tests short for “golden” applicants, entered false information on CDL score sheets, and reported passing scores for applicants he knew had never taken the skills test.
On April 11, 2025, Mendes pleaded guilty 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, 2025.
Prior to Mendes’ plea, two other defendants had already pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Calvin Butner, a former trooper, pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025, and Eric Mathison, a civilian co-defendant, pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
The charge of conspiracy to commit extortion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Perry Mendes’ guilty plea brings an end to the alleged conspiracy, which undermined the integrity of the CDL testing process and put public safety at risk.
Related Federal Cases
- Perry Mendes, CDL Test Score Falsification, Massachusetts 2025 · Washington
- Calvin Butner, CDL Test Score Tampering, Massachusetts 2024 · Washington
- Kenneth LaFlamme, Bribery, Witness Tampering, False Statements, Massachusetts 2019 · Massachusetts
- Letitia James, Election Power Grab, Massachusetts 2023 · New York
- Rosa A. Famania, Embezzlement, Massachusetts 2015 · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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