Westmoreland deputy sheriff sentenced for drunk driving

Dec. 3—A Westmoreland County deputy sheriff charged with drunk driving in May was ordered to serve one year on probation.

Eugene T. Cavaliere, 59, of Youngwood appeared in court Wednesday to enter the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time nonviolent offenders. The diversionary program does not require those charged with crimes to plead guilty to the offenses, and their criminal record can be expunged upon successful completion of the probation term.

According to court records, state police responded to a domestic disturbance in the early hours of May 28 near Cavaliere’s home. Police said Cavaliere had been driving a pickup truck and appeared to be drunk.

Field sobriety tests indicated he was impaired, and a breath test indicated his blood-alcohol level was 0.206%, police said. The legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania is 0.08%.

Troopers said May 27 Cavaliere shoved a woman and shook her head with his hands, according to a harassment citation. He also was cited for public drunkenness in the same incident.

Defense attorney Mike Ferguson said one summary offense was dismissed by a district judge, and Cavaliere pleaded guilty to another minor offense and paid a $25 fine.

“Gene is a good man who has served the Westmoreland County community for a long time. He has accepted responsibility and is looking forward to getting on with his life in a positive way,” Ferguson said.

Cavaliere was suspended without pay following his arrest. Sheriff James Albert said Cavaliere returned to work several months ago and was transferred to the department’s transportation division. A sheriff’s deputy since 2015, Cavaliere served on the department’s warrant team prior to his suspension.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .