In a shocking development, the leader of the neo-Nazi extremist group known as the Maniac Murder Cult has been charged with plotting to distribute poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City while disguised as Santa Claus.
Prosecutors unveil chilling plan
Prosecutors revealed on Tuesday that the plan was designed to sow terror in the city. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old from the Republic of Georgia, is alleged to be the mastermind behind this heinous scheme. Chkhikvishvili, who is also known by various aliases including Commander Butcher, is based in Eastern Europe and leads the extremist group. Chkhikvishvili has been indicted on four serious charges, including soliciting hate crimes and planning acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
International extremist group
Prosecutors describe the Maniac Murder Cult as an international extremist group that adheres to a “neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology,” promoting violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups it deems undesirable. The group’s objective is to disrupt social order and governments through acts of terrorism and violence that incite fear and chaos, according to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, and Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
Chkhikvishvili was apprehended after attempting to recruit an undercover law enforcement officer into his group, instructing them to commit violent crimes such as bombings and arson, according to court documents.
Detailed plans for mass casualty event
In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began orchestrating a “mass casualty event” for New York City on New Year’s Eve. “The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn,” the Department of Justice stated. Chkhikvishvili meticulously drafted step-by-step instructions for the execution of this plan and provided the undercover officer with detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases.
Since September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has been distributing a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook,” in which he claims to have “murdered for the white race” and urges others to do the same. The handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and uses children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. It outlines methods for committing mass terror attacks, including using vehicles to target large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations, parades, and pedestrian-congested streets, specifically encouraging attacks within the United States. Officials reported that Chkhikvishvili travelled to New York City at least twice in 2022, staying with his paternal grandmother in Brooklyn.
Potential penalties
If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices, and five years for transmitting threatening communication. The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups and highlights the concerted efforts of law enforcement agencies to prevent acts of domestic terrorism.