Michail "Commander Butcher," 22, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to recruiting others for violent hate crimes and sharing instructions for bombs and ricin. Prosecutors say he led an extremist group called the Maniac Murder Cult and circulated a manifesto titled the "Hater's Handbook." Among alleged plots was a scheme to have a Santa‑clad assailant hand out poisoned candy and later plans targeting Jewish schools. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
Neo‑Nazi Leader 'Commander Butcher' Pleads Guilty in Brooklyn Over Plot to Distribute Poisoned Candy
Michail "Commander Butcher," 22, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to recruiting others for violent hate crimes and sharing instructions for bombs and ricin. Prosecutors say he led an extremist group called the Maniac Murder Cult and circulated a manifesto titled the "Hater's Handbook." Among alleged plots was a scheme to have a Santa‑clad assailant hand out poisoned candy and later plans targeting Jewish schools. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
08:56 PM, 11/19/2025Security
Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, a Georgian national known online as "Commander Butcher," pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court after admitting he recruited others to carry out violent hate crimes and circulated instructions for making explosives and producing ricin.
Prosecutors say Chkhikvishvili led an extremist group called the Maniac Murder Cult and used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to encourage attacks against Jewish people and racial minorities. He was extradited from Moldova to the Eastern District of New York in May and entered his plea in federal court in Brooklyn.
Allegations and tactics
According to court filings, Chkhikvishvili circulated a manifesto called the "Hater's Handbook" from at least 2021 that promoted mass violence, including school shootings. Beginning in June 2022, after traveling to Brooklyn, he repeatedly solicited mass‑violence plots from someone he believed to be a fellow extremist but who was actually an undercover FBI employee.
Notable alleged plots
- November 2023: Prosecutors say he devised a New Year's Eve mass‑casualty scheme in New York City involving an assailant dressed as Santa Claus handing out candy laced with poison.
- The following month: He allegedly refocused efforts on Jewish schools, communities and children in Brooklyn and provided detailed instructions for producing lethal toxins, including ricin.
"With today’s guilty plea, this defendant admits to a horrific plot targeting Jewish people and racial minorities and even planned to poison children with candy around the holidays," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a Department of Justice statement.
Links to real‑world violence
Federal prosecutors say the group's propaganda inspired real‑world attacks. Authorities point to several incidents in which attackers cited the Maniac Murder Cult or the "Hater's Handbook":
- January 2025: A 17‑year‑old gunman who claimed allegiance to the Maniac Murder Cult opened fire at Antioch High School in Nashville, killing one student and wounding another before shooting himself.
- August 2024: In Eskisehir, Turkey, an attacker livestreamed a stabbing outside a mosque while wearing a vest bearing Nazi symbols and citing Chkhikvishvili's writings.
Chkhikvishvili has admitted to soliciting hate crimes and distributing instructions for explosives and ricin. Under federal law, he faces a maximum prison term of 40 years.
What happens next: A sentencing hearing will determine his punishment within the statutory range; prosecutors and defense will present motions, victim impact statements and recommendation factors for the court to consider.