Massachusetts State Police issue dishonorable discharge to Sergeant who retires after being charged in alleged scheme

BOSTON – The Massachusetts State Police today issued a dishonorable discharge to Sergeant Gary Cederquist after Cederquist retired from the Department effective Thursday.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, Cederquist Wednesday was suspended without pay by the Department. On Tuesday, he and five other people were charged in a federal indictment alleging they fraudulently conspired to issue commercial driver licenses to applicants who were unqualified or did not complete the full testing process. The State Police, who assisted prosecutors in the federal investigation, also are conducting an internal investigation into alleged violations of law and policy by those involved.

Another former member of the Department’s Commercial Driver Licensing Unit, Trooper Joel Rogers, was also suspended without pay yesterday. Rogers, retired MSP members Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes, and two non-MSP civilians were also charged the federal indictment.

Any determinations about the state pensions of the indicted MSP members will be made by the state Retirement Board, not the Department.