Michail Chkhikvishvili, Solicited Hate Crimes, New York 2024

BROOKLYN, NY – A shocking plot to target racial minorities and the Jewish community on New Year's Eve has been foiled by law enforcement. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national also known as 'Mishka,' 'Michael,' 'Commander Butcher,' and 'Butcher,' has been charged with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

According to the indictment, Chkhikvishvili was a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, a violent extremist group with international ties. The group adheres to a Neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology, promoting violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups deemed 'undesirables.'

Chkhikvishvili allegedly recruited others to commit violent acts in furtherance of the group's ideologies, including planning a mass casualty attack in New York City. He was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova on July 6, 2024, pursuant to an Interpol Wanted Person Diffusion issued based on a criminal complaint.

As alleged, Chkhikvishvili distributed a manifesto titled the 'Hater's Handbook' to MKY members and others. The Handbook discusses MKY's principles and encourages members to engage in acts of mass violence in furtherance of those principles. In the Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has 'murdered for the white race' and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and 'ethnic cleansing.'

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies.

Chkhikvishvili is alleged to have planned a New Year's Eve attack in which Santa Claus would hand out poisoned candy to racial minorities and distribute poisoned candy to Jewish children in Brooklyn. The plot was thwarted by an undercover law enforcement employee who posed as a prospective MKY recruit.

Chkhikvishvili is charged with soliciting a mass casualty attack, soliciting hate crimes, and other related charges. His current status is pending trial.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/georgian-national-charged-soliciting-hate-crimes-and-mass-casualty-attack-new-york