Former State Trooper Charged In Scandal, Arrested On Cruise Ship in Boston

Boston, MA:  A retired Massachusetts State Police trooper made an appearance in Boston’s federal court on Wednesday, following his recent arrest on federal charges. The charges are related to a bribery conspiracy that involved providing guaranteed passing scores on commercial driver’s licenses to specific applicants.

A 63-year-old man from Halifax, Calvin Butner, was apprehended on January 29 aboard a cruise ship just as it was preparing to set sail from the Port of Miami in Florida. Butner’s wife chose to stay on the cruise ship despite his arrest.

Butner served as a state trooper for several years, until recently, and was stationed at the CDL testing site in Stoughton. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Butner was one of six men who were indicted for their involvement in a bribery conspiracy.

Two individuals, former MSP Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton, and former MSP Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, or Bridgewater, have received a dishonorable discharge from the Massachusetts State Police department upon their retirements following the indictment. Retired MSP Trooper Perry Mendes, 63, from Wareham, along with two civilians, 42-year-old Scott Camara from Rehoboth, and 47-year-old Eric Mathison from Boston, were also indicted.

According to the 74-count indictment, Cederquist, Butner, and Mendes, who were part of the MSP Commercial Drivers Licensing Unit, allegedly abused their positions by falsifying results on the basic skills test for specific applicants. According to Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, Rogers is said to have become involved in the conspiracy in 2022.

Included in the indictment is a text exchange where Cederquist discusses a CDL applicant who has a close relationship with the police. If you’re looking for a new suit or need alterations, we’ve got you covered.

It is alleged that Cederquist received personal benefits for approving unqualified applicants, which reportedly included a new driveway worth more than $10,000 and a $2,000 snow blower.

Butner has been indicted on a multitude of charges, including conspiracy, extortion, mail fraud, falsification of records, making false statements, and perjury.

Butner entered a plea of not guilty during his court appearance on Wednesday, denying the charges against him. The judge overseeing his case has issued a directive prohibiting him from communicating with the other individuals who have been indicted.

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