A young man from Georgia named Michail Chkhikvishvili has been charged with planning a violent attack in New York City targeting Jews and minorities. He leads a group called the Maniac Murder Cult and goes by the name “Commander Butcher,” according to prosecutors.
Chkhikvishvili, aged 20, allegedly planned to dress as Santa Claus and distribute poisoned candy to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn and to minorities. He was arrested in Moldova on July 6 and faces charges for soliciting hate crimes and planning mass violence.
Since September 2021, he has reportedly spread a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook,” advocating for violent acts to promote “ethnic cleansing,” particularly in the U.S. The handbook suggested attacks like school shootings, bombings, and targeting crowded events and streets.
Prosecutors claim Chkhikvishvili used encrypted platforms to encourage others to commit violent hate crimes on behalf of his group, providing instructions for making bombs and Molotov cocktails. He allegedly communicated with an undercover FBI agent, discussing brutal acts and giving detailed instructions on making deadly poisons from castor beans for a planned candy poisoning attack.
Referring to a notorious extremist, Chkhikvishvili allegedly aimed to surpass the impact of Anders Behring Breivik’s attacks in Norway in 2011. He visited Brooklyn in June 2022 and reportedly boasted about committing hate crimes, expressing intentions to cause further harm.
Prosecutors condemned Chkhikvishvili’s actions, emphasizing his efforts to spread fear and hatred through violence targeting minorities, Jews, and others.