A Hadley, Massachusetts, man has pleaded guilty to importing the highly radioactive element plutonium from Russia and then selling it through the mail.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley announced that 44-year-old Jacob Miller pleaded guilty to several charges, including importing nuclear material without lawful authority, being a felon in possession of explosive materials and child pornography possession.
"Miller imported plutonium from Russia and arranged for it to be mailed to him at his residence," Foley's office said in a statement.
Foley said a search of Miller's home uncovered bottles of explosive powder, six rifles with rounds of ammunition and child sex abuse material on his laptop and phone. She said Miller was previously convicted in Massachusetts of having child sex abuse materials in 2024.
Investigators say that Miller had a business called "Collect the Periodic Table" and sold samples of chemical elements. That included plutonium and the highly toxic element thallium.
Miller sold plutonium to 67 customers in the United States and abroad, and thallium to 71 customers, Foley said. Both are not allowed to be mailed because they are considered hazardous substances.
According to a 2025 affidavit, Miller's website advertised "Plutonium (Cold War Era Detector Source)," which purported to be derived from Soviet smoke detectors.
According to the government, Miller "has exhibited a long-standing and unlawful obsession with explosives, dangerous chemicals and radioactive substances dating back to at least 2002." In 2014, the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program sent a cease-and-desist letter to Miller for selling depleted uranium on eBay. And neighbors said they saw him using black powder "to ignite a fireball and detonate a dishwasher in his backyard" in 2023, according to prosecutors.
Miller is due to be sentenced on Jan. 21, 2027. The nuclear materials charge carries a potential of up to 20 years in prison.
