Latest news with #CommanderButcher
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
European 'neo-Nazi' leader extradited to US from Moldova over plot to poison Jewish kids
'Commander Butcher' Michail Chkhikvishvili The United States has extradited from Moldova the leader of an "an eastern European neo-Nazi group" for allegedly instructing an undercover US federal agent to dress as "Santa Claus" and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children and racial minorities. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old from the Republic of Georgia, was arraigned Friday before a federal judge in New York's Brooklyn on multiple felonies, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence. Chkhikvishvili pleaded not guilty through an attorney, Samuel Gregory. The lawyer requested that his client receive a psychiatric evaluation, and be placed on suicide watch while in custody. "The case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology," US attorney general Pam Bondi said in a statement, according to news agency AP. Chkhikvishvili leads 'Maniac Murder Cult': Prosecutors Prosecutors described the Georgian national, who also goes by 'Commander Butcher,' as the leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult," an international extremist group. The Maniac Murder Cult adheres to a 'neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems 'undesirables.'' Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kickstart your new journey with the Honda Shine 125 Honda Learn More Undo They alleged that the group's violent solicitations — promoted through Telegram channels and outlined a manifesto called the 'Hater's Handbook' — appear to have inspired "multiple real life killings," including one at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this year which left a 16-year-old student dead. Since 2022, Chkhikvishvili has made multiple visits to Brooklyn, where he bragged about beating up an elderly Jewish man and instructed others, primarily through text messages, to commit violent acts on behalf of the Maniac Murder Cult, according to court papers. When he was approached by the undercover FBI agent in 2023, Chkhikvishvili recruited the official to a scheme which '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,' as per the Justice Department. Describing his "desire" to carry out a mass casualty attack, Chkhikvishvili said he saw the United States as 'big potential" because of accessibility to firearms." He suggested that the undercover FBI agent should consider targeting homeless people because the US government "wouldn't care even if they die." He was arrested last July in Moldova, where he was held until this week's extradition.
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- The Guardian
Georgian man extradited to US to face charges over poison-candy terror plot
The leader of an eastern European neo-Nazi group has been extradited to the United States from Moldova following his arrest last summer for allegedly instructing an undercover federal agent to dress as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children and racial minorities, prosecutors said. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old from the republic of Georgia, was arraigned on Friday before a federal judge in Brooklyn on multiple felonies, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence. He pleaded not guilty through an attorney, Samuel Gregory, who requested his client receive a psychiatric evaluation and be placed on suicide watch while in custody. Gregory did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Prosecutors described Chkhikvishvili, who also goes by 'Commander Butcher', as the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international extremist group that adheres to a 'neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems 'undesirables''. They said the group's violent solicitations – promoted through Telegram channels and outlined a manifesto called the Hater's Handbook – appear to have inspired multiple real-life killings, including a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this year that left a 16-year-old student dead. Since 2022, Chkhikvishvili has traveled on multiple occasions to Brooklyn, where he bragged about beating up an elderly Jewish man and instructed others, primarily through text messages, to commit violent acts on behalf of the Maniac Murder Cult, according to court papers. When he was approached by an undercover FBI agent in 2023, Chkhikvishvili recruited the official in a scheme that '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', according to the US justice department. He later suggested narrowing the focus to 'dead Jewish kids', prosecutors said, after noting that 'Jews are literally everywhere' in Brooklyn. Describing his desire to carry out a mass casualty attack, Chkhikvishvili said he saw the United States as 'big potential because accessibility to firearms', adding that the undercover agent should consider targeting homeless people because the government wouldn't care 'even if they die', according to court papers. He was arrested last July in Moldova, where he was held before this week's extradition. In a statement, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the case was 'a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology'.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Associated Press
Leader of neo-Nazi 'murder cult' extradited to the US from Moldova
NEW YORK (AP) — The leader of an eastern European neo-Nazi group has been extradited to the United States from Moldova following his arrest last summer for allegedly instructing an undercover federal agent to dress as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children and racial minorities, prosecutors said. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old from the republic of Georgia, was arraigned Friday before a federal judge in Brooklyn on multiple felonies, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence. He pleaded not guilty through an attorney, Samuel Gregory, who requested his client receive a psychiatric evaluation and be placed on suicide watch while in custody. Gregory did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Prosecutors described Chkhikvishvili, who also goes by 'Commander Butcher,' as the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international extremist group that adheres to a 'neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems 'undesirables.'' They said the group's violent solicitations — promoted through Telegram channels and outlined a manifesto called the 'Hater's Handbook' — appear to have inspired multiple real life killings, including a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this year that left a 16-year-old student dead. Since 2022, Chkhikvishvili has traveled on multiple occasions to Brooklyn, where he bragged about beating up an elderly Jewish man and instructed others, primarily through text messages, to commit violent acts on behalf of the Maniac Murder Cult, according to court papers. When he was approached by an undercover FBI agent in 2023, Chkhikvishvili recruited the official to a scheme that '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,' according to the Justice Department. He later suggested narrowing the focus to 'dead Jewish kids,' prosecutors said, after noting that 'Jews are literally everywhere' in Brooklyn. Describing his desire to carry out a mass casualty attack, Chkhikvishvili said he saw the United States as 'big potential because accessibility to firearms,' adding that the undercover should consider targeting homeless people because the government wouldn't care 'even if they die,' according to court papers. He was arrested last July in Moldova, where he was held prior to this week's extradition. In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case was 'a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology.'
