Neo-Nazi cult leader handed over to US authorities for plan to poison Jewish children's food.
A 21-year-old man identified as Michail Chkhikvishvili and known as "Commander Butcher" has been charged with numerous felonies, including soliciting hate crimes and planning acts of mass violence. Originally from Georgia, Chkhikvishvili leads the international extremist group, the Maniac Murder Cult, which promotes a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and advocates violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups deemed "undesirables."
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024, following an indictment in the Eastern District of New York. He was accused of recruiting an undercover FBI agent to partake in a scheme involving someone dressing as Santa Claus to hand out candy laced with poison to Jewish children and racial minorities in Brooklyn.
After being extradited from Moldova, Chkhikvishvili was arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn. His attorney entered a plea of not guilty, and the judge ordered him detained. A status conference is scheduled for June 11, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Chkhikvishvili is responsible for inspiring "multiple senseless killings" across the globe, including the Nashville school shooting earlier this year. His attorney has requested a psychiatric evaluation and suicide watch for Chkhikvishvili while in custody.
Additionally, Chkhikvishvili is accused of distributing a self-authored "Hater's Handbook," which encourages mass attacks and school shootings. The Maniac Murder Cult reportedly promotes such violent activities through its Telegram channels.
In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said this case serves as a "stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology."
Enrichment Data:- Michail Chkhikvishvili is the leader of an international extremist group, the Maniac Murder Cult, which advocates violence against specific groups.- Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Moldova in July 2024, following an indictment in the Eastern District of New York, and subsequently extradited to the United States. A status conference in the case is scheduled for June 11, 2025.- The group's violent solicitations and the "Hater's Handbook" have been linked to multiple real-life killing incidents worldwide.
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