Mass. State Troopers Arrested In Alleged Commercial License Scam

A number of Massachusetts State Police members have been arrested in what the D.A. alleges is a pay-to-pass scheme involving the licenses needed to operate big rigs.

Those tractor-trailers, oil tankers, gravel trucks, and even school buses may not be as safe next to you as you may have been led to believe. In the latest scandal to rock the 2,000-member Massachusetts State Police Department, an alleged pay-to-pass scheme may have been uncovered by authorities.

Note: Suspects in America are (supposed to be) considered innocent until proven guilty, so we will not name any of those who have been arrested in this story. All of what we report is an allegation at this point. 

The D.A. says that the police and civilians appointed by the state to administer the tests required for a commercial driver's license were given to unqualified individuals. The D.A. says that the state has records which indicate the testing officers considered the driving of one applicant to be “a mess” and called another individual “an idiot.” The main theme is that applicants who did not take the required exams, who took abbreviated exams, or who did not pass the exams were granted licenses in exchange for things of value.

The things of value included prime rib dinners, a paved driveway, and other payola kickbacks from unqualified applicants to those appointed by the state to administer the testing. The testing is governed by federal laws and guidelines, but the individual states set up the testing for their residents.

The people arrested, if we understand the D.A. correctly, include active Massachusetts State Police Officers, called “Troopers” by the residents of the Commonwealth, retired officers, and civilians. 

This newest scandal is just the latest in a series of events that have cast the Massachusetts State Police Department in an unfavorable light. Here is a quick rundown of some of the lowlights of the Commonwealth’s “Troopah” actions.
-This past year, tens of thousands of DUI convictions were cast into doubt due to Massachusetts State Police malfeasance. The Mass. Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) called the actions of the officials as “egregious.”
-Also, in 2023, multiple members of the state police were convicted of conspiracy, federal program fraud, and wire fraud in connection with an overtime scheme. This scheme was also related to highway safety. The charges related to federally funded overtime. The officers were charged with regularly arriving late to, and leaving early from, overtime shifts funded by grants intended to improve traffic safety.
-Massachusetts state labs that test for drugs confiscated in criminal investigations have been embroiled in multiple scandals. 

The video below offers more details on the newest allegations related to the state of Massachusetts' corruption in the state police department. 

John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can follow John on Twitter, and connect with him at Linkedin.