'Maniac Murder Cult' plotted to have person in Santa costume poison kids in New York City
A neo-Nazi from Georgia devised a sinister plot to have a person dress as Santa Claus and distribute poisoned candy to racial minorities and Jewish children in New York City on New Year's Eve, according to the Justice Department.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, 20, was indicted by a grand jury in Brooklyn on Monday on charges including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York announced Tuesday.
Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Michael” and “Commander Butcher,” was described as a leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult" (MKY) — an international group promoting neo-Nazi ideology and violence against racial minorities and the Jewish community, prosecutors said. The group aims to challenge social order and governments through terrorism and violent acts, creating fear and chaos.
Since November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the help of a prospective MKY member, who was actually an undercover FBI employee, to commit acts of violence. He planned a mass casualty attack in New York City, instructing the undercover agent to dress as Santa Claus and distribute poisoned candy to racial minorities and Jewish children in Brooklyn. He provided detailed instructions and manuals on creating and mixing poisons.
In communications, Chkhikvishvili encouraged the undercover agent to commit acts of mass violence targeting Jewish people, minorities, and homeless individuals in New York City through bombings, arson, and poisonings. Some materials he sent were linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and foreign terror organizations like ISIS, prosecutors said.
Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, on July 6 following an Interpol Wanted Person Diffusion issued based on a criminal complaint. He was very active online promoting MKY and its agenda. Since September 2021, he distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater's Handbook” to MKY members, promoting ethnic cleansing and claiming to have “murdered for the white race.”
He traveled to Brooklyn in June 2022 and stayed with his grandmother, boasting online about harming an elderly Orthodox Jewish man he was caring for while working at a rehabilitation facility. By July 2022, he encouraged others on encrypted messaging platforms to commit violent hate crimes on behalf of MKY.
“His goal was to spread hatred, fear, and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson, and even poisoning children, targeting racial minorities, the Jewish community, and homeless individuals,” said Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Chkhikvishvili was further indicted on charges of conspiracy to solicit violent felonies, distributing information on making explosive devices, and transmitting threatening communications. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiracy, 20 years for distributing information on explosive devices, and five years for transmitting threatening communications.
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