A 44-year-old Colorado woman was sentenced to a year in federal prison for stealing pain medication from patients while working as a registered nurse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Alicia Nickel-Tangeman was sentenced for obtaining controlled substances using fraud and deception after telling patients she was conducting a “study” on the effectiveness of patient controlled analgesia pumps, which deliver substances to patients to relieve pain.

After informing the patients she was conducing the study, Nickel-Tangeman would open the machine and take a syringe of hydromorphone, which she kept. She stole the syringes from three patients, according to a release.

When questioned by investigators, she told them she was “engaged in a study with a well-known university,” according to the release.

Nickel-Tangeman then created and gave false emails to law enforcement that were from a friend who asked her to participate in the study.

“Medical professionals who criminally abuse their positions of trust will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Our office’s priority is to protect the public and the health care system our citizens rely upon for their medical care.”

Nickel-Tangeman was sentenced Tuesday and following her 12-month sentence will serve an additional year of supervised release.