A Massachusetts man, with a documented history involving explosives and hazardous materials, faces federal charges after investigators allegedly discovered ammunition, firearms, explosives, hazardous chemicals, and radioactive materials, including plutonium, at his residence earlier this month.
Jacob D. Miller, 43, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of being a felon in possession of explosive materials, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Miller had been previously arrested on April 9, 2025, based on a criminal complaint detailing the ammunition charge. He remains in federal custody while the court considers pretrial detention.
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The charges stem from an April 8, 2025, search warrant executed at Miller’s Hadley home. According to charging documents, investigators found a box containing approximately 50 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition in a bedside table and six firearms secured in a hallway safe.
More alarmingly, the search also uncovered explosive materials, numerous hazardous chemicals, and radioactive substances. Evidence presented at a detention hearing indicated Miller has allegedly harbored a “long-standing and unlawful obsession” with dangerous materials dating back over two decades.
Authorities point to a 2002 search of a previous residence belonging to Miller, which reportedly yielded blasting caps, bomb-making instructions, military gear including an apparent rocket launcher, a homemade pipe bomb, and a video showing Miller detonating improvised explosives. He was subsequently convicted in state court for possessing those devices.
Miller’s alleged involvement with hazardous materials continued despite legal troubles. Court records show that in 2014, while on probation, the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program ordered him to cease selling depleted uranium on eBay.
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Despite claiming compliance, Miller allegedly started an online business named “Collect the Periodic Table” in 2017, marketing and selling radioactive materials. Prosecutors allege this included Plutonium-239 derived from Soviet-era smoke detectors, citing at least five PayPal transactions for plutonium sales between June and October 2023, with additional sales records found during the recent search.
Prosecutors also allege that in 2023, Miller directed an associate to buy five pounds of hazardous black powder and ship it to his Hadley home. Witnesses reportedly told investigators Miller used the powder to create a fireball and explode a dishwasher in his backyard during gatherings. Remnants of this powder shipment were allegedly found during the April 2025 search.
The sheer volume and nature of the substances found concerned state officials. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) warned that the fuels, alkali metals, oxidizers, acids, and toxic elements like arsenic cataloged at the home posed a significant risk to occupants, first responders, and the public. A court has ordered MassDEP to conduct a safety evaluation and oversee the removal of these hazardous materials.
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Federal law prohibits Miller from possessing ammunition, firearms, or explosives due to prior felony convictions. According to court documents, Miller was convicted in Hampshire Superior Court on February 9, 2004, for possession of child pornography and, in a separate case, for two counts of possession of an explosive device.
If convicted on the new federal charges, Miller faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count.
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