An East Boston man is set to be sentenced this week for his role in a corruption scheme that handed out commercial driver’s licenses in exchange for candy, bottled water, and other perks.

According to the Boston Herald, Eric Mathison, 48, pleaded guilty back in March to conspiracy to commit extortion. Prosecutors say he was part of a group that funneled gifts to Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Gary Cederquist and his team in exchange for automatic passing grades on CDL tests. Mathison’s sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, with prosecutors pushing for a two-year prison term, while his defense is asking for probation.

At the center of the scandal was Cederquist, who ran the Commercial Driver’s License Unit in Stoughton and allegedly “drove the extortion conspiracy,” according to court filings. The so-called “golden handshake” gave passing marks to applicants regardless of their skills or qualifications.

The favors came in all shapes and sizes—everything from a $10,000 driveway to a $2,000 snow blower. In Mathison’s case, it was steady deliveries of Belmont Springs bottled water, coffee pods, and candy like Twizzlers and Swedish Fish—altogether valued at more than $8,000.

Prosecutors argue that Mathison treated the scheme as if it were a joke, despite the fact that it put public safety at risk. They also highlighted his past convictions, including an eight-year prison stint for impersonating a police officer and robbery.

His lawyer, however, painted a different picture, saying Mathison wasn’t in it for personal gain. Instead, the scheme allegedly benefitted his employer, Belmont Springs, which needed licensed drivers to deliver products. The defense also noted Mathison’s role as the main caretaker for his parents and his adult brother, who is on the autism spectrum.

Still, as prosecutors reminded the court, CDL standards exist for a reason: to keep unsafe drivers off the road.

You can read more about this case here.