A Boston man, Eric Mathison, has pleaded guilty to his involvement in an extortion conspiracy involving former Massachusetts State Police troopers. The case centers around allegations that these troopers conspired to provide false passing scores on Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) tests in exchange for bribes.
Mathison, aged 48, admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. His sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. This plea follows charges from January 2024 when Mathison and five others were indicted in connection with the conspiracy and related schemes.
Mathison was employed by a water company that required drivers with CDLs for their delivery vehicles. He confessed to collaborating with others, including former MSP Sergeant Gary Cederquist, who was responsible for the MSP’s CDL Unit. The allegations suggest that Cederquist awarded passing scores to applicants linked with the water company who either failed or partially completed the CDL skills test. In return, he allegedly received bribes consisting of free inventory from the water company delivered by Mathison.
The inventory reportedly included cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, Arizona Iced Tea, and various coffee and tea products. These items were delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. Mathison acknowledged his communications with Cederquist regarding specific CDL applicants and their test performances as well as inventory requests from Cederquist.
In one instance cited by Mathison, he received text messages purportedly from Cederquist referring to a water company applicant as “an idiot” who “should have failed about 10 times already,” yet still received a passing score. On another occasion, Mathison inquired about restocking needs at the trailer, receiving a response indicating urgent need for premium bottled water and other beverages.
The charge of conspiracy to commit extortion carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General's Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch are handling prosecution duties.
