Mass. State Police suspend two troopers involved in commercial driver's license bribery scheme

Massachusetts State Police suspended two troopers who were charged with accepting bribes in exchange for passing scores on commercial driver's license exams.

Sgt. Gary Cederquist and Trooper Joel Rogers were suspended without pay indefinitely, according to a statement from state police spokesperson Dave Procopio on Wednesday. The two are the only active state police members among the six people named in a 74-count federal indictment. The group included two former state troopers and two civilians.

Cederquist and Rogers were assigned to the Commercial Driver Licensing Unit at the time of the alleged offenses federal prosecutors detailed on Tuesday. Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Josh Levy said prosecutors have so far identified more than two dozen commercial licenses granted to drivers who did not pass the test.

The state police said they have been aware of the federal investigation since late 2022 and "initiated an internal audit of the unit’s operations and procedures."

The department says that, beginning in 2023, it has implemented "reforms to the CDL Unit that have significantly improved efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability," including required use of body-worn cameras for CDL exams, more unannounced supervisory visits, and adding new troopers to the unit.