A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to illegally importing and selling radioactive materials from Russia, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Jacob D. Miller, 44, pleaded guilty to importing nuclear materials without lawful authorization, as well as being a felon in possession of munitions, being a felon in possession of explosive materials, shipping dangerous materials and possession of child pornography, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Miller’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday evening.
His complaints were filed Thursday as part of a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, which said Miller was a felon convicted in 2004 of possession of child pornography and possession of an explosive device.
A search of his residence in 2002 revealed “an apparent rocket launcher,” a pipe bomb and video of Miller setting off improvised explosive devices, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
After his prison time, the state of Massachusetts warned him about allegedly selling depleted uranium on eBay, authorities said in a statement in April 2025.
He started a business called Collect The Periodic Table, selling samples of chemical elements including radioactive plutonium and toxic thallium, federal prosecutors said.
Miller sold the items from his residence in South Hadley, Mass., just outside Springfield, and through a third-party retailer, they said.
Prosecutors said he sent plutonium to 67 customers in the United States and abroad in late 2020 and early 2025. He used the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the element despite a law prohibiting its transportation by mail, they said.
An April 2025 search of Miller’s home revealed the discovery of a half-dozen rifles, explosive powder and ammunition, all in violation of the law because of his felon status, prosecutors said. Authorities also said they found child pornography on his laptop and cellphone.
“Miller demonstrated a long-standing and illegal obsession with explosives, dangerous chemicals and radioactive substances that dates back to at least 2002,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement last year.
Sentencing in the latest case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni and is scheduled for Jan. 21.
Miller faces a sentence of 46 years or more in prison, although it is unclear whether the judge intends to allow the sentences for each charge to be served concurrently, which could reduce that length.
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