The leader of an international neo-Nazi organisation has admitted to plotting a mass terror attack targeting Jewish children in New York City, marking a significant victory for American counter-terrorism efforts.
From Georgia to Global Terrorism
Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old Georgian national who operated under the alias 'Commander Butcher', pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn federal courthouse on Monday to soliciting hate crimes and providing bomb-making instructions. The self-proclaimed leader of the violent extremist group Maniac Murder Cult had been actively recruiting members to plan and execute mass casualty attacks throughout New York.
According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili travelled to New York in June 2022 and within just one month began using the Telegram messaging app to encourage others to commit violent hate crimes. In a disturbing development, he unknowingly solicited an act of mass violence from an undercover FBI agent, seeking their assistance to conduct bombings and arson attacks targeting racial minorities, with particular focus on Jewish communities.
Santa Claus Poison Plot and School Targeting
The investigation revealed that by November 2023, Chkhikvishvili had developed a particularly sinister plan for a New Year's Eve mass casualty event. His scheme involved having an accomplice dress as Santa Claus and distribute poison-laced candy specifically to minority children.
Initial instructions detailed that after distributing the lethal sweets, the individual should take a taxi to a predetermined location, burn the Santa costume, dispose of burner phones, and return home undetected. When this plan failed to materialise, Chkhikvishvili shifted focus in January 2024 to specifically target Jewish children and schools in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors presented evidence of a 'Hater's Handbook' that Chkhikvishvili had been distributing to cult members since September 2021, which actively encouraged readers to commit school shootings.
Deadly Consequences and International Impact
Chkhikvishvili's influence extended far beyond planning, with authorities confirming his encouragement directly led to at least two fatal attacks. In January 2025, a 17-year-old student killed one person and injured another before dying by suicide inside Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, acting under the cult's direction.
The attacker livestreamed part of the assault and in an audio recording claimed he was taking action on behalf of Maniac Murder Cult. His manifesto explicitly mentioned Chkhikvishvili as an inspiration.
Another tragic incident occurred in August 2024 when a different individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, while wearing a tactical vest bearing Nazi symbols. The attacker's manifesto included direct references to Chkhikvishvili and his violent ideology, and he had distributed links to the Hater's Handbook before the attack.
After being extradited from Moldova to America in May 2025, Chkhikvishvili finally faced justice. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated: 'Violent, nihilistic, racist groups like these are an ongoing threat to the American people – our vigilance will not waver as we protect our citizens.'
Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg condemned the 'monstrous plots and propaganda calling for racially motivated violence against civilians, including children' that 'posed a grave threat to public safety.' Chkhikvishvili now faces a maximum sentence of 40 years' imprisonment for his crimes.
