POLICE CORRUPTION

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Retired Massachusetts State Police sergeant Gary Cederquist has been sentenced to six years behind bars for orchestrating a long-running bribery scheme that manipulated commercial driver’s license (CDL) tests. Prosecutors left no doubt about their view of the misconduct: **“Put simply, Cederquist is the very embodiment of public corruption.”**

During his tenure as the head of the CDL Unit (from 2017 until early 2023), Cederquist abused his authority by awarding passing test scores to applicants who either failed the required skills test or never took it at all. He admitted (and was convicted on) charges including conspiracy, falsifying records, extortion, honest services mail fraud, and making false statements.

According to the evidence, Cederquist and his co-conspirators used code words such as “golden handshake” or simply “golden” to signal that certain applicants would be passed regardless of their performance. Even when the examiners texted that someone was “brain dead” or “an idiot,” those applicants still received passing scores.

In exchange for these favors, Cederquist accepted a variety of bribes: from premium bottled water and candy, to tangible goods such as a new driveway worth over $10,000, a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000, and a granite mailbox.

At sentencing, a federal judge also imposed penalties including a $30,000 fine, $18,300 in restitution, and an additional special assessment of $4,800.