An entire graduating class of the Georgia State Patrol's Trooper School has been fired or resigned after getting caught cheating on an online test to become certified to operate a radar speed gun.
Thirty-two troopers from the 106th Trooper School were fired Wednesday. Another resigned when the cheating allegations came to light. The class graduated in August.
Col. Mark W. McDonough, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said the investigation began in October after officials learned about the allegations from the girlfriend of one of the cadets, who said she took the online test for him. When confronted about that, the trooper told superiors that the whole class had cheated.
The subsequent investigation led officials to discover rampant cheating on the test.
“This goes to our very core values and so it is something that it’s difficult to swallow,” McDonough said during a news conference Wednesday.
McDonough said the investigation confirmed four allegations: Every trooper cheated on speed detection operator exam; A cadet helped another cadet with their exam; Three cadets assisted another with their exam; And a training instructor printed a makeup exam and permitted two cadets who failed to take it back to their rooms for studying purposes.
He added that the troopers used typed notes, received direct assistance and utilized test questions and answers on GroupMe and on a website that aggregates tests. He also said they used two Snapchat groups to facilitate the cheating and get their stories straight as the investigation was ongoing.
“Our whole mode is to produce an officer that the public can trust,” McDonough said at a news conference Wednesday. “When a person is pulled over, when they're given a speeding citation, they should feel that the training the person received and their performance on the exams to get that certification has been done so without cheating.
McDonough said the fired troopers had written 133 speeding tickets using radar guns, even though they hadn’t actually been certified to use them. McDonough didn’t say what would happen to those tickets.
McDonough said all the graduates signed an oath to uphold professional conduct and standards, which they violated, leading to Wednesday's dismissals.
McDonough said he's ordered a complete audit of the training department, which could lead to people higher up being disciplined.
The troopers in the class included two assigned to Gainesville, one to Gwinnett and one to Blue Ridge. The troopers are:
- Erguens Accilien - Post 21 - Sylvania
- David Allan - Post 6 - Gainesville
- Jalin Anderson - Post 33 - Milledgeville
- Erik Austell - Post 15 - Perry
- Evan Bauza - Post 11 - Hinesville
- Logan Beck - Post 23 - Brunswick
- Christopher Cates - Post 27 – Blue Ridge
- Seferino Chavez - Post 47 – Forest Park
- Demon Clark - Post 17 - Washington
- Christopher Cordell - Post 5 - Dalton
- Clint Donaldson - Post 49 – Motor Unit
- Eric Guerrero - Post 36 - Douglas
- Jonathan Hayes - Post 29 - Paulding
- Nicholas Hawkins - Post 46 - Monroe
- Bradley Hunt - Post 2 - LaGrange
- Clarence Johnson - Post 25 - Grovetown
- Evan Joyner - Post 2 - LaGrange
- Richard Justice - Post 25 - Grovetown
- Malcolm Martinez - Post 47 – Forest Park
- Rebecca Moran - Post 51 - Gwinnett
- Paul Osuegbu - Post 6 - Gainesville
- Jose Perez - Post 13 - Tifton
- Patrick Pollett - Post 25 - Grovetown
- Troy Pudder - Post 30 - Cordele
- Caleb Pyle - Post 24 – Newnan
- Daysi Ramirez - Post 15 - Perry
- Gabriel Rampy - Post 4 – Villa Rica
- Adam Salter - Post 26 - Thomaston
- Jerry Slade - Post 30 - Cordele
- Kyle Thompson - Post 36 - Douglas
- James Vaughan - Post 10 - Americus
- Brian Whelehan - Post 23 - Brunswick
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
