Six individuals, including four Massachusetts State Police troopers and two civilians, have been arrested and charged in connection with a bribery conspiracy involving commercial driver’s licenses. The indictment includes charges of extortion, fraud, and conspiracy, as the accused allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for passing unqualified applicants on CDL tests. The troopers involved received personal benefits for passing applicants, with one trooper receiving a new driveway and a snow blower as bribes. The civilians provided free goods or conspired with the troopers to pass applicants who did not meet the requirements.
The indictment alleges that members of the Commercial Drivers Licensing Unit falsified results on basic skills tests for certain applicants, with some applicants receiving guaranteed passing scores regardless of their performance. Text messages between the accused individuals reveal discussions about giving guaranteed passes to certain applicants, even if they did not perform well on the tests.
The Massachusetts State Police have condemned the actions of the accused individuals and have suspended the troopers involved. A total of 74 counts are included in the indictment, with investigations revealing more than two dozen drivers may be on the road with fraudulent CDL licenses. Reforms have been implemented in the CDL unit to ensure more accountability. Governor Maura Healey has expressed support for the investigation and emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency in such cases. The accused individuals are facing criminal charges and will appear in federal court for further proceedings.
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