Franklin Naturopathic Doctor Gets Prison After Adderall Prescriptions

FRANKLIN, WI — A woman who practiced naturopathy at a clinic in Franklin was recently sentenced to a year in prison after she distributed Adderall without a medical license, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad.

A federal plea agreement said 48-year-old Michele Nickels issued 20 prescriptions for Adderall totaling over 1,300 dosage units by using a former employee's name and DEA registration, despite knowing she was not authorized to prescribe medications herself. Nickels held herself as a "naturopathic doctor" operating out of Integrative Family Wellness Center where she saw and evaluated patients, according to a signed federal plea agreement.

Nickels pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful distribution of controlled substances in February, according to prosecutors. The charge and conviction came after a four-year period where the defendant prescribed medications like Adderall without a medical license, according to the news release.

Nickels graduated as a licensed acupuncturist in Arizona and soon operated Self-Integrative Family Wellness Center from 2008 until 2022, though she was never licensed to prescribe medications or controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney's news release said.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller "focused on the trust that society places in licensing authorities to impose meaningful requirements in order to ensure the protection of the public," according to the news release. "Judge Stadtmueller noted that individuals, like Nickels, who are unable to conform their conduct to the requirements of their licensing authorities must face appropriate consequences."

Nickels' prison term will be followed by two years of supervised release, prosecutors wrote.