A former Massachusetts State Police trooper, Calvin Butner, 64, from Halifax, Massachusetts, has agreed to plead guilty in relation to a conspiracy to falsify records. This was part of a scheme to provide passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants, regardless of their actual test performance. This was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, among other officials.
Butner is set to plead guilty to charges including one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records, aiding and abetting, as well as five counts of making false statements. The plea hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani is scheduled for April 7. Originally charged in a 74-count indictment in January 2024, he was implicated along with five others in this conspiracy.
The CDL test is a necessary requirement for operating specific commercial vehicles and is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, testing and issuance are managed by individual states, including Massachusetts. The charging document outlines that Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit conspired to ensure passing scores for at least 17 CDL applicants from approximately May 2019 to January 2023. These applicants were referred to as "golden" in communications between Butner and co-conspirators.
Part of the allegations state that Butner texted remarks regarding the applicants to a co-conspirator, suggesting preferential treatment was given irrespective of qualifications. Butner also faces charges of falsifying records by providing passing scores to applicants who failed the test, as well as issuing scores to some who did not take the test at all.
Additionally, Eric Mathison, a civilian co-defendant, recently pleaded guilty to a related charge, conspiracy to commit extortion, on March 21.
The investigation has identified CDL recipients who were not qualified, and these individuals have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The conspiracy to falsify records charge could lead to a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Similar penalties apply to the other falsification charges, and the false statements charges carry up to five years in prison with comparable potential fines and supervised release terms. Sentencing will follow federal standards and guidelines.
The accusations against Butner and others involved are currently allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
