A former Massachusetts State Police trooper has been sentenced to three months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to falsify records related to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) tests. Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax, Mass., received the sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani and will also serve one year of supervised release, with the first three months under home confinement. The prosecution had recommended a 15-month prison term.
Butner pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting, and five counts of making false statements. He was indicted in January 2024 alongside five others for participating in the scheme.
Members of the Massachusetts State Police CDL Unit were tasked with administering skills tests required for obtaining CDLs. These tests are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation and are intended to ensure only qualified drivers receive commercial licenses.
Between May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit gave preferential treatment to at least 17 applicants by providing passing scores regardless of actual performance on the tests. They used “golden” as a code word for these favored applicants. In text messages exchanged with a co-conspirator, Butner commented:
“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.”
The investigation found that Butner awarded passing grades to three applicants who failed their exams and five others who did not take them at all.
All individuals identified as unqualified during the investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “This case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring public safety by holding accountable those who undermine regulations designed to keep dangerous drivers off our roads.” Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Region also participated in announcing today’s sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch from the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.
