Grosse Pointe doctor gets 1 year for over-prescribing Vicodin, Valium to woman

A Grosse Pointe Shores doctor has been sentenced to one year and a day in prison for illegally providing the prescription drugs hydrocodone and diazepam to a female who later died of an overdose, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Salvatore Cavaliere, 58, received the sentence Wednesday from U.S. District George Caram Steeh after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. He admitted to selling up to 2,000 doses of the opioid hydrocodone, aka Vicodin, as well as up to 600 doses of diazepam, aka Valium, each month to the female, said Saima Mohsin, acting U.S. Attorney for Detroit, in a news release. Cavaliere admitted responsibility for unlawfully selling a total of 42,000 doses of Vicodin and Valium.

Officials said Cavaliere engaged in the conduct for many years, providing his friend with Vicodin even after she texted him she was sick, out of pills, and would have to go to a drug treatment program if he did not provide her more. Instead of helping her with drug treatment, he wrote her a prescription for more pills, officials said. She eventually sought treatment for her drug addiction and stopped obtaining drugs from the defendant. She died of a massive prescription drug overdose about 18 months later, officials said.

Cavaliere asked for a probationary sentence with community service, but Steeh, a former Macomb County judge, ruled a sentence within the advisory guideline range of 12-18 months was necessary, “primarily in light of the seriousness of the offense,” officials said.

Hydrocodone and diazepam are controlled substances that may be prescribed by a doctor only for a legitimate medical purpose, officials said.

The case was investigate by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.