A former sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston. Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was found guilty of participating in schemes to manipulate passing scores for Commercial Driver's License (CDL) applicants. The applicants, some of whom failed or did not take the CDL skills test, benefited from bribery and extortion conspiracies over several years.
Cederquist faced multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, honest services mail fraud, and falsification of records. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani has scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025. Cederquist's co-defendants, including former troopers and civilians, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley stated, "It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety. Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve."
Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol commented, "Today’s verdict confirms that Gary Cederquist abused his authority as a Massachusetts State Trooper to recklessly bypass long-established testing and safety parameters for commercial driver’s license applicants."
According to Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, "Today’s verdict sends a strong message to those who may be motivated by greed to abuse their positions—that they will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system."
Cederquist arranged for passing scores for applicants regardless of actual performance, using codes like "golden handshake" in communications. Among those benefiting from this were six Massachusetts State Troopers who were falsely reported as having passed tests they never took.
Cederquist also conspired with individuals tied to a trucking school and a water company, accepting various forms of bribes, including products and services, in exchange for falsifying test results.
The case highlights the penalties associated with charges such as conspiracy and extortion, which may result in up to 20 years in prison and significant fines. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Foley, HSI SAC Krol, and DOT PAIG Chawaga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are overseeing the prosecution.
