Franklin naturopath jailed after prescribing Adderall

FRANKLIN, Wis. — A woman who practiced naturopathic medicine at a Franklin clinic was recently sentenced to one year in prison for distributing Adderall without a medical license, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Gregory Hernstad. That’s what it means.

According to a federal plea agreement, Michelle Nickels, 48, used a former employee’s name and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration to sell Adderall, even though she knew she was not authorized to prescribe the drug. It said it issued 20 prescriptions totaling more than 1,300 dosage units. According to a signed federal plea agreement, Nickels described himself as a “naturopathic physician” practicing at an integrative family wellness center, where he examined and evaluated patients.

Nickels pleaded guilty in February to unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, prosecutors said. The charges and convictions came after four years in which the defendant prescribed medications such as Adderall without a medical license, according to a news release.

Nickels graduated as a licensed acupuncturist in Arizona and immediately ran the Self-Integrative Family Wellness Center from 2008 to 2022, but she said she was never licensed to prescribe medications or controlled substances. a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

U.S. District Judge JP Stadtmuller “focused on the public’s trust in licensing authorities to impose meaningful requirements to ensure the protection of the public,” according to a news release. “Judge Stadtmuller pointed out that individuals, like Nickel, who are unable to bring their conduct into compliance with the requirements of licensing authorities must face proportionate punishment.”

Nickels’ prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release, prosecutors wrote.