Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD) removed 10 officers amid a cheating scandal on South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy certification exams, including the Datamaster DMT operator test. The misconduct occurred between November 4 and December 5, 2025, leading to firings or separations classified as involving misconduct.​
Scandal Timeline
Chief Mark Arnold learned of the issue on December 18, 2025, triggering an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Standards. Two officers were terminated on December 23 for cheating after one confessed and implicated another; a follow-up probe, involving over 85 interviews, identified eight more who provided or received answers. SLED declined criminal involvement, and most cases were deemed below internal misconduct thresholds except for specified exam cheating by at least one officer.
Affected Officers
At least nine named via academy documents include Zachary Bonadies, St. Claire Clinkscales, Alec Cummings, Caroline Drolet, Harrison Hodgert, Kendall Jost, Jamie Matthews, Vincenzo Pagliaroli, and Adam Sher; Caleb Glenn faced separate misconduct allegations from 2024-2025. Sher briefly joined Charleston County Sheriff’s Office post-MPPD (inactive by January 22, 2026) and had prior Myrtle Beach PD experience; Hodgert worked at North Charleston PD before MPPD.​
Department Response
Chief Arnold commissioned an independent review by Randy Means and Associates to bolster policies and accountability, emphasizing the actions don’t reflect the department’s overall integrity. Affected officers can appeal through the academy.
