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yesterday

Neo-Nazi Network Leader Sentenced to 15 Years for Plot to Poison Jewish Children

The case shows U.S. reach over online extremist leaders through undercover work, extradition, global coordination.

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FILE - An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Commander Butcher,” posing with a spray paint can next to a wall with a red swastika symbol, Image 2 shows Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as "Commander Butcher," wearing a camouflage jacket and green undershirt, Image 3 shows Michail Chkhikvishvili aims a handgun from a balcony, with a swastika and the words "ULTRAVIOLENCE CHALLENGE" visible

Overview

  • Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, was sentenced in Brooklyn on Wednesday to concurrent 180-month terms for soliciting hate crimes and sharing bomb and ricin guides.
  • Prosecutors said he led the Maniac Murder Cult, using Telegram to recruit and pushing a plan to hand out poisoned candy in New York, later targeting Jewish schools in Brooklyn.
  • He pleaded guilty in November 2025 after extradition from Moldova in May 2025, following an undercover FBI operation that captured his requests for bombings, arson, and poisonings.
  • Judge Carol Bagley Amon said she punished “calls to action,” as a Nashville student described lingering trauma from a 2025 school shooting prosecutors linked to the group.
  • Authorities say his 'Hater’s Handbook' manifesto guided followers and was cited in attacks in the U.S. and Turkey, showing how online propaganda can spur real-world violence.