Second former Massachusetts trooper guilty in CDL skills test bribery conspiracy

A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper has become the third person to admit to participating in a scheme to provide passing Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills test scores to applicants in return for bribes.

On April 11, Perry Mendes, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and two counts of making false statements, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Former Trooper Calvin Butner and civilian co-defendant Eric Mathison have both pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in the CDL skills test scheme. A total of six people were arrested and charged in January 2024 in connection with the scheme.

Mendes was part of MSP’s CDL Unit responsible for administering CDL skills tests. 

Officials say that between May 2019 and January 2023, Mendes and others conspired to give passing skills test scores to at least 17 CDL applicants, regardless of whether they passed or not. The conspirators used the code words “golden handshake” or “golden” to designate CDL applicants who would be given preferential treatment.

At his plea hearing, officials say that Mendes “admitted to his role in the alleged conspiracy, including that he cut skills tests short for “golden” applicants; that he entered false information on CDL score sheets indicating that certain applicants had passed the skills test when they had not; and that he reported passing scores for applicants he knew had never taken the skills test.”

Mathison worked for a water company that required CDL drivers to operate delivery vehicles. He admitted to conspiring with the troopers “to obtain CDLs for certain applicants associated with the water company in exchange for bribes of free inventory from the water company, such as cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, cases of bottled Arizona Iced Tea and coffee and tea products, all of which Mathison delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton.”

If convicted on the charge of conspiracy to commit extortion, Mendes faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.