A Georgian man alleged to be the leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult," a white supremacist group, was indicted in New York City on Monday for allegedly planning arson and bomb attacks on racial minorities and Jewish people and plotting to hand out poisoned candy to children, officials said.
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned an indictment charging 20-year-old Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as "Commander Butcher" and "Butcher," with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.
Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, on July 6 after being listed as wanted by Interpol.
"As alleged, the defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his Neo-Nazi ideologies," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. "His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals."
According to prosecutors, the Maniac Murder Cult, or MKY, "adheres to a Neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems 'undesirables'."
Chkhikvishvili, as the alleged leader of the group, has distributed a manifesto titled "Hater's Handbook" since around September 2021.
In the "Hater's Handbook," Chkhikvishvili claims he has "murdered for the white race" and encourages readers to do the same. The book encourages school shootings, using children to carry out suicide bombings, and other acts of mass violence and "ethnic cleansing."
In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to the U.S. and stayed with his grandmother in Brooklyn. Beginning in July, Chkhikvishvili began encouraging others to commit mass violence in the U.S. on behalf of MKY, and allegedly conspired with the leader of a separate extremist New-Nazi group.
He also solicited acts of mass violence from a person he believed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who was actually an undercover FBI employee.
In September 2023, the undercover employee asked Chkhikvishvili if there was an application process to join MKY.
"Well yes we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera," Chkhikvishvili allegedly replied. He allegedly said "[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder," and also suggested a "mass murder" within the U.S.
Beginning in November 2023, Chkhikvishvili allegedly solicited the undercover employee to carry out arsons and bombings with the aim of harming racial minorities, Jewish people and others.
The feds also claim Chkhikvishvili provided bomb-making instructions.
Chkhikvishvili also allegedly planned a New Year's Even attack in New York City that involved a person dressing up as Santa Claus to hand out poisoned candies to racial minority children and children at Jewish schools.
Chkhikvishvili allegedly provided the undercover employee detailed instructions on creating lethal poisons and gases, including methods for extracting ricin from castor beans to make ricin poisons in liquid and powdered form.
Chkhikvishvili allegedly said the attack would be a "bigger action than Breivik," referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing in Oslo and a mass shooting at a youth summer camp in Norway in 2011.
He allegedly boasted that he was "glad I have murdered," and that he would "murder more" but "make others murder first."
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis said, "The swift disruption of this individual, accused of allegedly plotting violent attacks in New York, sends a clear message: we will use every resource in our power to ensure the safety of the American people."
If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces up to 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure), up to 20 years for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices, up to five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, and up to five years for transmitting threatening communications.
--with reporting by TMX
