SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Dr. Charise Valentine, 69, of Southfield, was sentenced to six years in prison following her conviction on charges related to the illegal distribution of prescription opioids.
Valentine was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, and 10 counts of illegal distribution of these drugs.
Recommended Videos
The charges stem from Valentine’s role as one of two doctors at the Orthopedic Medical Building, a sham clinic operating out of a warehouse in Oak Park.
Between November 2016 and July 2018, Valentine issued more than 3,000 prescriptions for over 200,000 opioid pills to individuals who did not have a legitimate medical need.
Her co-defendant, Dr. Michele Ritter, was also involved in illegally issuing thousands of opioid prescriptions.
Most patients were brought to the clinic by recruiters or marketers.
The clinic operated on a cash-only basis, charging patients between $200 and $500 per prescription.
Patients who did not receive opioid prescriptions were not charged.
Pricing was based on the quantity, type, and dosage of opioids prescribed, typically Oxycodone 30mg or Oxymorphone 40mg—two highly addictive and commonly diverted prescription opioids.
In addition to prescriptions, the clinic charged cash for creating fraudulent medical records for these supposed patients.
Valentine received approximately 50% of the clinic’s proceeds, totaling more than $500,000 in cash over about 19 months.
She was paid only when she wrote an opioid prescription, not for any medical care provided.
Each day she worked, she received envelopes containing thousands of dollars in cash.the