A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to illegally importing plutonium from Russia and selling radioactive and toxic materials to customers in the United States and abroad, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Jacob D. Miller, 44, of Hadley, pleaded guilty to 5 federal charges involving nuclear material, hazardous substances, ammunition, explosives and child sexual abuse material. His sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2027, according to the Department of Justice.
Miller operated an online business called Collect The Periodic Table from his home in South Hadley, where he sold samples of chemical elements through his own website and the online marketplace Bonanza.
Prosecutors said Miller imported plutonium from Russia and arranged to have it sent to his residence. Between December 2020 and March 2025, he sold the radioactive material to about 67 customers in the U.S. and other countries.
He also sold thallium, a highly toxic substance, to about 71 customers between October 2017 and April 2025. Federal prosecutors said Miller mailed both substances through the U.S. Postal Service even though they were prohibited from being sent through the mail.
Miller had already been convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material and an explosive device in Massachusetts in 2004. He was sentenced to 1½ years in a House of Correction followed by 10 years of probation.
In 2014, while he was still on probation, Massachusetts authorities issued Miller a cease-and-desist order after learning he was selling depleted uranium on eBay, according to the Boston Globe.
Federal investigators searched Miller’s residence in April 2025 and found bottles of explosive powder, ammunition and 6 rifles. Prosecutors said Miller was prohibited from possessing the weapons and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions.
Investigators also found child sexual abuse material on Miller’s laptop and cellphone, including material that had been accessed as recently as the day before the search.
The charges include being a felon in possession of ammunition, being a felon in possession of explosive materials, illegally importing nuclear material, mailing hazardous materials and possessing child sexual abuse material after a prior conviction.
Miller has remained in federal custody since his arrest on April 9, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison for illegally importing nuclear material and up to 15 years each for the ammunition and explosives charges.
The child sexual abuse material charge carries a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years because of his previous conviction. His sentence will be determined by a federal judge.
The case was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the FBI’s Boston division. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Hadley Police Department and Massachusetts State Police also assisted with the investigation.