Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old Neo-Nazi leader from Georgia, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to planning to poison children with poisoned candy and bomb-making instructions as part of a hate group targeting Jewish communities. The case underscores the risks of extremist ideologies and the real-world consequences of such plots, as Chkhikvishvili’s actions led to the creation of a dangerous extremist group known as the Maniac Murder Cult.
Chkhikvishvili, who goes by ‘Commander Butcher,’ led the Maniac Murder Cult, an extremist group advocating violence to spark a racial and religious war. Federal prosecutors say he was involved in orchestrating violent hate crimes, including a plot to dress as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to children. The DOJ reported that Chkhikvishvili’s rhetoric has inspired real-world attacks, including a school shooting in Antioch, Tennessee, and a violent attack in Turkey linked to his manifesto.
Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn in June 2022 and soon began urging others — mainly via the encrypted app Telegram — to commit violent hate crimes for the group. He repeatedly solicited mass-viole… (rest of the text)