MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A federal judge sentenced an Appleton nurse practitioner to 16 months in prison for illegally prescribing opioids between 2020 and 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced.

Jessica Friday pleaded guilty in August to distributing controlled substances outside normal medical practice and without legitimate purpose. According to court records, Friday issued prescriptions for drugs like Oxycodone without medical necessity, arranging for patients to fill the prescriptions and give her half or more of the pills for her personal use.

Friday knew the patients didn't need the opiates and that they were vulnerable due to mental health issues and addiction, the DOJ said. Some patients sold pills they kept from the unlawful prescriptions.

Judge J.P. Stadtmueller noted Friday's abuse of trust, the large volume of unnecessary prescriptions and the need to deter similar conduct among medical professionals.

After her prison term, Friday will serve three years of supervised release.