Selling plutonium might seem more like something that would happen in the plot of a time travel film than a real-life occurrence, but a Massachusetts man recently pleaded guilty for just that.
Jacob D. Miller, a 44-year old from Hadley, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of importing nuclear material without lawful authority, according to a press release issued this week by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. It said that Miller pleaded guilty to allegations that he illegally imported plutonium from Russia and sold it to customers in the U.S. and abroad, along with other hazardous materials.
Plutonium is naturally occurring in small amounts, but most is made from uranium in nuclear reactors, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a radioactive material, which means that it has an unstable nucleus and it goes through a process of radioactive decay. During this process, it emits alpha particles.
These particles can be dangerous when inhaled, the CDC explained. They can lodge in the lungs and kills lung cells, leading to lung disease and cancer. Alpha particles can also enter the bloodstream through the lungs and infiltrate the body.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Miller was already a convicted felon when he pleaded guilty to charges this week. He also pleaded guilty to other charges, including: one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition; one count of being a felon in possession of explosive materials; one count of mailing hazardous materials; and one count of possession of child pornography.
Miller was indicted by a grand jury last April and has been in federal custody on pretrial detention, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. He was previously convicted of possessing child pornography and possessing an explosive device in 2004 and was sentenced to one and a half years of incarceration followed by 10 years of probation.
After he was released, Miller started “a business called Collect The Periodic Table (CTPT) through which he sold samples of elements listed in the periodic table of elements, including plutonium,” as well as thallium, a highly toxic material. Miller operated the business from his home in South Hadley, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“In addition to selling through CTPT directly, Miller used an online third-party retailer, Bonanza, to conduct his sales,” it added.
From Dec. 30, 2020, through March 31, 2025, Miller sold plutonium to approximately 67 customers throughout the United States and abroad, per the press release. He shipped it through the U.S. mail – plutonium is prohibited from being sent in the mail since it is a hazardous substance. Around the same time – from October of 2017 through April of last year – Miller used CTPT and Bonanza to sell thallium to approximately 71 customers, also shipping the toxic substance through the U.S. mail.
A search of Miller’s residence last April uncovered a box that contained bottles of explosive powder, rounds of ammunition and six rifles – all possessed unlawfully due to his prior felony convictions. His phone and laptop also contained child sexual abuse material that he had accessed as recently as the day before the search warrant was issued.
The charge of unlawfully importing nuclear material alone could result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Then the charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition and explosives also each provide for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
“The charge of mailing hazardous material provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography after a prior child pornography conviction provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, supervised release for no less than five years and up to life and a fine of up to $250,000,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office added. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21 of next year.
