Local News

Second Mass. state trooper facing charges in CDL scandal is dishonorably discharged

Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater, had been suspended without pay by state police since Jan. 31.

Joel Rogers outside the federal courthouse on Jan. 30. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe

February 6, 2024

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A second Massachusetts state trooper charged with allegedly taking bribes in exchange for handing out passing scores on commercial driving tests has retired and been dishonorably discharged, the department announced Tuesday night.

Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater, had been suspended without pay since Jan. 31, according to state police. He was one of two current members of the department charged in the scandal. Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton retired and was dishonorably discharged on Friday.

Rogers and Cederquist were both members of the department’s Commercial Driver Licensing Unit. They were indicted alongside four others — retired state troopers Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes and two civilians — on federal charges that they allegedly falsified records and conspired to fraudulently issue commercial drivers licenses to applicants who “were unqualified or did not complete the full testing process,” according to police.

They are facing more than 70 charges, including conspiracy to falsify records and extortion.

The law enforcement department has said it became aware of the federal investigation into members of the CDL Unit in late 2022 and that it is conducting its own internal investigation.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.