Neo-Nazi “Commander Butcher” Pleads Guilty in U.S.: Plot to Poison Jewish Children, Make Bombs and Ricin
- Teo Drinkovic
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Mihail Chkhikvishvili — aka “Commander Butcher,” leader of the extremist “Maniac Murder Cult” — admitted in a Brooklyn court to inciting hate crimes and providing instructions for bombs and ricin poison
Introduction
“Commander Butcher” has officially pleaded guilty before a United States federal court. Although Mihail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national known by several aliases like “Commander Butcher,” “Mishka,” “Michael”, was arrested in Moldova in July 2024 on an Interpol warrant, his trial is taking place in the U.S.
After being extradited to the United States on May 22, 2025, he was formally charged in federal court in Brooklyn with hate-crime incitement and distributing detailed instructions on how to build bombs and produce ricin. In November 2025, Chkhikvishvili pleaded guilty to part of these charges. According to the indictment, he faces up to 40 years in prison.
Who Is Mihail Chkhikvishvili, Known as “Commander Butcher”?
Mihail is a Georgian citizen, known for his brutal aliases and his role as the leader of the extremist neo-Nazi group “Maniac Murder Cult,” a transnational organization with members in the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.
The group operates globally, coordinating through online platforms like Telegram. U.S. authorities describe the organization as both “neo-Nazi” and “accelerationist.” Accelerationism is a radical ideology that seeks to trigger societal collapse through chaos and violence, believing it will pave the way for a new, racially defined order.
Very little is publicly known about Mihail’s early life. When he was extradited to the U.S., he was only 21 years old, placing his birth year around 2003 or 2004. Court documents indicate he used internet accounts based in Georgia (verified through IP geolocation) and opened a Coinbase account registered to a Georgian address under the username “Commander Butcher.” Before his arrest, he lived in Tbilisi. justice.gov
His “entry into crime” appears to have begun around September 2021. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, he started circulating a manifesto titled Hater’s Handbook, promoting violence, white supremacism, and extremist ideology. Prosecutors say that in this manifesto, he claimed to have “killed for the white race,” encouraged “ethnic cleansing,” and openly advocated for mass violence, including school shootings, suicide attacks, and assaults on minorities. Through Telegram, he recruited members for the “Maniac Murder Cult” and encouraged violence such as arsenic attacks, bombings, and poison-based assaults. wired.com
Crimes Committed in the Name of “Commander Butcher”
According to U.S. indictments and Department of Justice statements, Mihail is responsible for inciting violence motivated by racial and religious hatred, specifically against Jewish people and racial minorities, and for orchestrating high-level terrorist planning, including poison attacks, bomb construction guidance, and violent strategy dissemination.
His manifesto, Hater’s Handbook, includes detailed, operational instructions for organizing terrorist attacks, using vehicles as weapons against crowded areas, manufacturing explosives, and producing deadly toxins.
Prosecutors state that Mihail’s incitement “resulted in multiple attacks.” A key example is the January 2025 tragedy at Antioch High School in Tennessee, where 17-year-old Solomon Henderson murdered 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante, wounded another student, and then killed himself. The attacker claimed in an audio recording that he acted on behalf of the “Maniac Murder Cult” and another extremist group. In a 300-page document, he explicitly referenced Mihail Chkhikvishvili and the ideology outlined in the Hater’s Handbook.
Authorities also linked additional attacks to MMC propaganda, including a stabbing outside a mosque in Turkey. justice.gov
Antioch High School in Tennessee, where 17-year-old Solomon Henderson murdered 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante, wounded another student, and then killed himself
In an undercover operation, an FBI agent posing as a recruit communicated directly with Chkhikvishvili. During these exchanges, Mihail proposed a plan involving someone dressed as Santa Claus handing out poisoned candy to children, specifically Jewish children, in Brooklyn schools. He then provided detailed instructions for producing deadly toxins, including ricin, indicating he was fully committed to implementing such attacks.
Prosecutors say he suggested New Year’s Eve as the attack date, a classic terrorist tactic aimed at high symbolism and mass crowds. He later discussed shifting the attack to a Jewish holiday, stating it would be “more effective” to target children’s institutions.
Why Extremists Like “Commander Butcher” Are So Dangerous
Mihail Chkhikvishvili comes across as a highly ideologically driven and strategically minded extremist leader, young but shockingly methodical. According to the Department of Justice, he wasn’t merely a propagandist; he was an active coordinator of concrete terror plans ranging from poison attacks to bombings and mass-shooting incitement.
His leadership was not theoretical. He distributed his manifesto containing operational instructions for creating toxins like ricin, organizing mass-casualty attacks, and encouraging followers to carry out violent acts.
Ideologically, he belongs to an accelerationist neo-Nazi movement that doesn’t just crave symbolic dominance; it seeks full societal destabilization. For them, violence is not an outburst but a deliberate strategy to accelerate societal collapse and create a new racial order. justice.gov
His conversations with the FBI agent show him as brutally direct. He proposed bombings, mass murders, and poison attacks as legitimate tools for achieving his extremist goals. He was neither confused nor chaotic; he was calculating. Court documents reveal he recruited followers via Telegram, sent detailed instructions, and planned high-profile attacks. His rhetoric included statements like “make the murder bigger than Breivik,” referring to Anders Breivik, who carried out one of Europe’s deadliest mass killings.
Anders Breivik, who carried out one of Europe’s deadliest mass killings
One of the most chilling aspects of his profile is his double life. While publicly leading an extremist hate movement, he also worked at a rehabilitation center for an Orthodox Jewish family, and, according to messages sent to fellow extremists, he bragged about abusing a sick Jewish patient. This contradiction reveals a manipulative personality capable of hiding motives and exploiting social environments for cover.
Commander Butcher Profile
Although no professional psychiatric profile is publicly available, his actions and writings strongly suggest a cold, goal-oriented extremist with a high level of radicalization. He does not appear driven by momentary rage but by a long-term ideological mission. His willingness to plan mass killings, poisonings, and incite others shows he views violence as a tool, not a byproduct.
“Maniac Murder Cult” is not a local group but an international network. Mihail is not a lone wolf; he is someone who understands how to recruit, coordinate, and operationalize extremist ideology across borders.
He is especially dangerous because he combines youth, meaning decades of potential extremist activity, with ideological rigidity, technical audacity, and manipulative skill. Extremist leaders like him are a core challenge for modern counterterrorism because they are not just ideological influencers; they are operational planners.
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