Indicted Trooper Joel Rogers, charged last week in an alleged commercial driver’s license bribery case, was dishonorably discharged and immediately retired.
“The State Police today issued a dishonorable discharge to Trooper Rogers, who retired from the Department effective today,” the MSP announced Tuesday night.
Rogers was among six agency employees arrested last week as part of a 74-count indictment alleging that they traded favors in exchange for unearned commercial drivers licenses.
Rogers, age 54, of Bridgewater, made $184,000 in 2022 and $174,000 in 2023, according to payroll records. He can collect a pension, at least until the state Pension Board decides on his case, which is not a guarantee they’ll act.
Rogers was suspended without pay on Jan. 31, the State Police added Tuesday night.
The alleged conspiracy he’s linked to, which federal prosecutors said began in 2017, went down at the MSP’s Commercial Driver’s Licensing unit.
Active members charged were Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton, and Rogers. In addition, retired MSP Troopers Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax, and Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham, were each arrested in Florida.
Cederquist and Rogers as well as civilians Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth, and Eric Mathison, 47, of Boston, who are both described as friends of Cederquist’s, were arrested a day later.
Cederquist also was suspended without pay and retired last week, the agency added. According to the state comptroller, in 2022 Cederquist made $331,619. In 2023, he pocketed another $182,000.
Dennis Galvin, president of the Massachusetts Association for Professional Law Enforcement (MAPLE), told the Herald Sunday it’s time for Gov. Maura Healey to take action on the agency.
“The worst part of all this is it’s undermining confidence in the law,” Galvin, a retired state police major, said. “Our members are heartbroken over what’s happening.”
Galvin is calling for Gov. Maura Healey to put the agency into a receivership or establish a Blue Ribbon commission to fix the MSP.
The State Police indicted allegedly texted to each other referring to the commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants who would pass no matter what as receiving “the golden handshake” or “the golden treatment.”
Cederquist, the alleged ringleader, is accused of handing over CDLs for gifts like a new driveway valued at $10,000 and a $2,000 snowblower.
Each defendant is charged with various counts of extortion, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and falsification of records.
 "Why men must be aware of breast cancer risks – Firstpost")
