Former Massachusetts State Trooper sentenced for conspiracy to falsify CDL test scores

BOSTON, Mass – A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper was sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants even if they failed the CDL test or took less than the full test required by federal law.

That is according to a press release issued by the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax, Mass., was sentenced three months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release with the first three months in home confinement.

The government recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison.

In April 2025, Butner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting and five counts of making false statements. In January 2024, Butner was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the conspiracy and related schemes, according to the release.

“Members of MSP’s CDL Unit were responsible for administering CDL skills tests,” the release stated. “Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test which includes: Vehicle Inspection, in which an applicant is tested on their knowledge of the vehicle; Basic Control Skills, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to perform certain maneuvers; and the Road Test, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to drive a commercial vehicle on an open roadway. Only drivers who pass the test and thereby prove they are qualified to drive a commercial vehicle may be issued a CDL, with the primary goal of public safety.”

Between in on or about May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their CDL tests regardless of whether or not they actually passed. Butner and the co-defendants used the code word “golden” to identify these applicants. Butner gave passing scores to applicants and texted the following comments to a co-conspirator:

• “This guys a mess. . . . Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch.”
• “Golden mess. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”
• “He’s a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
• “Total mess this guy[.] i think some time[s] we should just do what we can but not golden. I’ll tell you about it later.”

In addition, Butner gave passing scores to three applicants who failed the CDL test, and to five applicants who did not take the test at all.

All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Bruce Guthrie

Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.